The letter sent to Whitman by the SSA regarding the maid’s SSN specifically states: “This letter … is not a basis, in and of itself, for you to take any adverse actions against the employee … Any employer that uses the information in this letter to justify taking adverse action against an employee may violate state or federal law and be subject to legal consequences.”
AND … While employers are required to complete a Form I-9 attesting that the employee provided “facially valid” proof of identity and eligibility to work, It is ILLEGAL to arbitrarily reject valid or valid-looking documents, or to demand more proof than the law requires. That constitutes discrimination based on immigration status, national origin, etc.
3. The government makes mistakes too. I’d hate to be summarily dismissed because some agency sent my employer a nastygram by mistake. Worse than the time my high school report card got screwed up.
