Employers still waiting for new no-match rule

Still waiting to find out when you’ll have to follow the federal government’s new rules on handling Social Security number no-match letters? Don’t hold your breath.
In the latest move of a battle that’s been fought for the past year and a half, a federal judge has denied a request to speed up a hearing involving the proposed regs.
In August of 2007, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a rule outlining the steps employers need to take when they receive a letter from the feds indicating the SSN provided by a new hire doesn’t match the info in the government’s database.
Before the rule could have any impact, a federal court issued an injunction to block it. In October of last year, the DHS issued the rule again, along with some more background information to address the court’s concerns.
The DHS asked the court to accelerate the process so the issue could be resolved early in the new year, but the judge blocked the request.
No word yet on if and when the new rules will go into effect. We’ll keep you posted.