{"product_id":"i-9-and-wage-hour-audit-kit","title":"I-9 and Wage-Hour Audit Kit","description":"\u003cp\u003eAudit your own I-9 files and exempt classifications before someone else does. A form-by-form sweep against the current ICE categories, the 2026 salary-floor check, the duties test, and clear lines for when to bring in counsel.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eFive files that take you from the binder to a defensible record\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eA guide to read first, a workbook that grades every I-9, a second that tests every exempt position, and two quick checkers for single cases. Built to be used together on one audit.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eStart Here.\u003c\/strong\u003e How the two workbooks and the checkers fit together and the order to run them. One page, read it first.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eI-9 Audit Kit.\u003c\/strong\u003e A per-employee tracker that grades each form complete, technical, or substantive; a documentation log for every fix; a counsel-ready audit summary; and the ICE error benchmarks updated for the March 16, 2026 fact sheet. Opens on a worked example. Works in Excel or Google Sheets.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWage and Hour Classification Kit.\u003c\/strong\u003e The 2026 federal and state salary floors, a position-by-position audit of the three-part exemption test (salary basis, salary level, duties), a reclassification plan, and a documentation log. Works in Excel or Google Sheets.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eI-9 and Exempt-Status Checkers.\u003c\/strong\u003e Two single-case screens that open in any browser: check one employee’s I-9 or one position’s exemption before you commit to the full audit. They run locally and upload nothing.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003ch3\u003eThe method in the order an audit runs\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eForms first, pay second, and every fix lands in a log. The workbooks grade and organize; counsel makes the legal calls.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eScreen the I-9 file.\u003c\/strong\u003e Pull every active employee into the I-9 Tracker and grade each form against the Benchmarks tab: complete, technical, or substantive. The March 2026 ICE fact sheet reclassified a long list of formerly technical errors as substantive, so the old mental checklist is stale.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCheck the salary floors.\u003c\/strong\u003e In State Thresholds, compare every exempt salary to the 2026 federal and state numbers and apply the higher floor. The federal line held at $684 a week after the 2024 increase was vacated and rescinded; six states now sit well above it.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eTest duties, not titles.\u003c\/strong\u003e Run the three-part test in Position Audit for each exempt role: salary basis, salary level, duties. A manager title with no exempt duties fails, and the workbook makes you write down why each position passes.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFix with counsel and log everything.\u003c\/strong\u003e Move findings to the Audit Summary and the Reclassification Plan, get counsel’s call on corrections and any back pay, and date every fix in the Documentation Log. The dated record is the good-faith evidence.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003ch3\u003eBuilt on the current rules and honest about its limits\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eCompliance is the part of HR where small errors carry fines, so the kit is careful where it counts and clear about where a lawyer takes over.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNever a stand-in for legal advice.\u003c\/strong\u003e The workbooks mark the legal checkpoints on corrections, exemption calls, and back pay, and tell you when to route the decision to qualified employment counsel.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eThe rules checked against current sources.\u003c\/strong\u003e The ICE categories reflect the March 16, 2026 inspection fact sheet, and the salary floors reflect the 2026 federal and state numbers, framed as a reference to confirm, not a guarantee.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eA worked example to follow.\u003c\/strong\u003e The I-9 tracker and the position audit each open on a filled-in example row, so you see the grading before you load your own people.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDated and reviewable.\u003c\/strong\u003e Every tab carries a last-reviewed date, and every fix lands in a documentation log, so good faith is on paper.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003ch3\u003eWho it is built for\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBuilt for\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAn owner or HR team of one who has never audited the I-9 binder and suspects what is in it.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAn HR lead with exempt roles paid near the old floors who needs the 2026 numbers checked position by position.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA consultant or fractional HR lead running a compliance cleanup ahead of a sale, an audit, or a funding round.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIf you are looking for\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePay-range posting rules, not classification. The US State Pay Transparency Pack covers the state-by-state disclosure rules.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCompliance outside the US. This kit is built on US federal and state rules; for Canada start with the Ontario Job Posting Transparency Pack.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003ch3\u003eBefore you buy\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat format are the files and can I edit them?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTwo Excel workbooks, a Start Here PDF, and two web checkers that open in any browser. The workbooks work in Excel or Google Sheets, and everything is editable and yours to keep. The checkers run locally and upload nothing.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIs this legal advice?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eNo. It is general information and a structured self-audit for planning. I-9 corrections, exemption calls, and back pay carry real legal consequences, so the kit marks where to bring in qualified employment counsel, and you should do that before you act.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat changed in March 2026?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eICE updated its Form I-9 inspection fact sheet on March 16, 2026. A long list of errors that used to count as technical, with a cure window, now count as substantive, with fines of $288 to $2,861 per form and no cure period. The Benchmarks tab lists the current categories in plain language, with the reclassified ones flagged.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAre the 2026 salary numbers current?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe federal floor is $684 a week ($35,568 a year): the 2024 increase was vacated in court and then formally rescinded by the Department of Labor in May 2026. The State Thresholds tab carries the 2026 state floors above it with effective dates, and every tab is stamped with a last-reviewed date so you can see how current it is.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDoes it cover my state?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe salary-floor table lists the federal baseline, the six states with higher 2026 floors, and the rule for everyone else: apply the higher of the federal or state number. Duties tests and overtime rules also vary by state, so the workbook prompts you to confirm the rules where you operate rather than assume the federal line.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWe hired remote employees. Does the I-9 audit cover that?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eYes. Remote verification failure is one of the substantive categories in the tracker: where documents were examined remotely, the audit checks that the alternative-procedure box and the E-Verify status are documented on the form.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWill it stay current as the rules change?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eEach file carries a last-reviewed date so you can see how current it is, and meaningful updates are released as the rules change. Salary floors reset every January, so plan to re-run the thresholds check each year.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat is the refund policy?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDigital products are covered by a 14-day money-back guarantee. See the refund policy for the full terms.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat happens after I buy?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eCheckout delivers an instant download link, and a receipt with the same link arrives by email. Open the Start Here page first; it tells you the order to work in. If a file gives you trouble, email support@truestephr.com.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSelf-audit checklists and general business information for planning, not legal or tax advice. Have qualified employment counsel confirm I-9 corrections and exemption calls before you act. Last reviewed June 2026.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"TrueStep HR","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52641504166164,"sku":"TSHR-045","price":99.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1013\/9048\/3732\/files\/TSHR-045__i-9-and-wage-hour-audit-kit-hero.jpg?v=1780979021","url":"https:\/\/shop.truestephr.com\/products\/i-9-and-wage-hour-audit-kit","provider":"TrueStep HR","version":"1.0","type":"link"}