The I-9 Center settings page is where Fountain and customer Administrators will update and manage settings associated with W-4 forms, I-9 forms, and E-Verify for accounts using E-Verify.
To access I-9 Center settings, click I-9 Center in the left sidebar. Then click Settings.
Settings differ between I-9 Center V1 and V2
The settings available in I-9 Center can differ depending on whether your account is using I-9 Center V1 or I-9 Center V2. If you don’t see a setting described in this article, your account may be on a different version or may not have that feature enabled. You can learn more about I-9 Center V2 here and can read about setup here.
Onboard Providers
The Onboard Providers section is where the Fountain team will configure your I-9 and W-4 form’s provider WorkBright. This is also where they will enable E-Verify. You should not adjust these settings.
If you have questions about these settings, reach out to your Fountain Customer Success contact or [email protected].
Worker Import Provider
The Worker Import Provider section is where the Fountain team will configure how your worker information is importing into the I-9 Center. You should not adjust these settings.
Task Completion Rule
The Task completion rule section contains toggles that control how I-9 cases are classified during completion.
Keep the Onboard task In Progress until Section 2 is completed. When enabled, the related Onboard task will not be marked complete until both Section 1 and Section 2 are fully complete.
Classify I-9 cases with countersigned Section 2 and receipt documents as E-Verify status. This toggle controls whether a receipt document in Section 2 blocks Section 2 from being completed:
When enabled, a receipt no longer blocks Section 2. You can complete Section 2 for the case, which moves it to the E-Verify step with an Awaiting submission status. The case is held there and is not submitted to E-Verify until the actual document replaces the receipt.
When disabled, a receipt prevents Section 2 from completing. The case remains at Step Section 2 with an Unsubmitted receipt sub-status, found under the Awaiting Information tab.
Click Save after adjusting either toggle.
Receipts Cannot Be Submitted to E-Verify
Regardless of this setting, a case that contains a receipt is not submitted to E-Verify until the worker provides the actual document. For full handling steps, see Manage Unsubmitted Receipts.
Skip E-Verify
The Skip E-Verify section is where you can select states or jobs where you want to skip submission to E-Verify after I-9 completion. Some states do not require E-Verify. Therefore, you may choose to skip them. Learn more about E-Verify state requirements in this article.
Click Save after selecting any states or jobs.
W-4 State Tax Reciprocity
The W-4 State Tax Reciprocity section will automatically assign W-4 forms based on state reciprocity agreements for workers who live and work in two different states. When workers access their W-4 task in their Worker Portal, they will have the option to either opt-in or opt-out of reciprocity. This impacts which W-4 forms are assigned to them as mandatory vs optional. You can also access a list of state reciprocity agreements in this section.
This setting is not visible by default. Contact your Fountain Customer Success contact if you are interested in using this feature.
Changes will be automatically saved.
I-9 and W-4 Profile Automatic Restart
The I-9 and W-4 profile automatic restart section has three toggles - Automatically restart I-9 forms on updates, Automatically restart I-9 forms for rehires, and Automatically restart W-4 forms for rehire.
Automatically restart I-9 forms on updates is used if your company is also using Fountain Hire. Information on the I-9 form can be set up to auto-populate from information saved in the worker’s Applicant Profile in Hire. However, users can edit these fields of information in the Worker’s Profile in Worker Experience, causing a mismatch across platforms.
By turning on this toggle, the I-9 Section 1 will be restarted if a user changes any of these prepopulated fields in the Worker Profile helping to ensure matching information.
Automatically restart I-9 forms for rehires will automatically restart the I-9 form for any workers that are labeled as a rehire via their Worker Profile. Rehires can either complete a Supplement B form or complete a new I-9 form. Learn more about rehire options in this article.
Automatically restart W-4 forms for rehires will automatically restart the W-4 form for any workers that are labeled as a rehire via their Worker Profile.
Changes will be automatically saved.
Reverification
The Reverification section is where you’ll configure, recollect and reverify methods for expiring documentation. Prior to adjusting these settings, you should create applicable calendar groups. Review this article for more information.
To turn on reverification notifications, click the toggle and then select a calendar group for reverification appointments.
Click the Start and end reverification tab to expand and customize the message sent. You can adjust the number of days for the reverification process, the content of email and/or SMS messages, and the number of reminders.
Click Save after making any changes.
E-Verify Reminders
There are two E-Verify reminder sections - TNC Reminder and E-Verify Unconfirmed Data Reminder.
Each section allows you to send the worker a reminder to any new workers who have Tentative Nonconfirmation or Unconfirmed E-Verify case statuses that require worker action. Simply click the toggle to turn on this message type.
Click the Messages tab to expand and customize the message sent. You can choose to send an email, SMS, or both as well as the content of the message(s).
Click Save after making any changes.
Deadline Approaching
The Deadline Approaching section allows you to send the worker daily reminders when Section 1 and Section 2 completion deadlines are approaching. Simply click the toggle to turn on this message type.
Click the Section 1 tab and/or Section 2 tabs to expand and customize the messages sent. You can choose to adjust the number of messages sent, when the message is sent, and the content of the email and/or SMS message.
Click Save after making any changes.
Section 2 Appointment
The Section 2 Appointment section allows you to set up notifications for workers and admin users.
You can send an email message, SMS, or both to the worker when an appointment is booked, as well as a reminder before the appointment, based on the number of hours you set.
You can also enable an admin user email notification when appointments are booked.
Be sure to toggle on the toggle in the top right corner of each section to enable notifications. Click Save when finished.
Section 2 Completion Reminder
The Section 2 Completion Reminder section allows you to send the worker a reminder to any new workers who have not completed Section 2 of the I-9 form. Simply click the toggle to turn on this message type.
Click the Messages tab to expand and customize the message sent. You can choose to adjust the number of messages sent, when the message is sent, and the content of the email and/or SMS message.
Click Save after making any changes.
Worker Notification Configuration
The Worker Notification Configuration section is where you can turn on worker notifications and even customize the email or text message that is sent. Simply toggle on email, sms, or both to enable messages. Click the customize buttons to edit the messages sent. All toggles are on by default. Fountain recommends keeping these notifications on when possible.
You can send workers a notification related to these I-9 statuses:
E-Verify:
Case Referred
Final Nonconfirmation
Tentative Nonconfirmation (TNC)
I-9 forms:
Receipt submitted
Rejected
Restarted
Section 1 missed deadline
Section 2 missed deadline
W-4 forms
Restarted
Click Save after adjusting any toggles or customizing any messages.
Profile Fields Configuration
The Profile Fields Configuration section is where you can choose to disable editing on certain fields on the W-4 or I-9 forms. You can also choose to hide the phone number and gender fields on these forms which are not required.
When deciding what fields are editable, you will have a choice between conditionally locking the field or fixed locking the field.
Conditional Lock: The worker will be unable to edit any pre-filled data that is correctly formatted. However, they will be able to edit the field if it is empty, malformed, or atypical.
Fixed Lock: The worker will be unable to edit the field without exception. The worker must contact the company’s support team for changes.
Toggle on the appropriate Conditional Lock or Fixed Lock toggle(s) and click Save when finished.
I-9 Center V2 settings
If your account uses I-9 Center V2, you may see additional settings related to worker profile matching, rehire handling, and automatic I-9 or W-4 restarts.
In V2, the I-9 and W-4 profile automatic restart section controls whether Fountain should automatically restart forms when a worker is identified as a rehire.
Depending on your account configuration, this section may include options such as:
Automatically restart I-9 forms for rehire: When enabled, Fountain issues a new I-9 for a linked rehire instead of reusing the worker’s existing I-9.
Automatically restart W-4 forms for rehire: When enabled, Fountain issues a new W-4 for a linked rehire instead of reusing the worker’s existing W-4.
Restart exception custom attribute: If configured, this lets you prevent an automatic restart for specific workers when the attribute is set on their profile.
These settings work together with the Worker profiles matching & rehire settings. Matching determines whether a new worker profile is linked to an existing profile, while the I-9 Center restart settings determine what happens to the worker’s I-9 or W-4 after that link is made.
Have questions about these settings? Reach out to your Fountain Customer Success contact or [email protected] for guidance.