Happy Monday, readers. I did not find or make time this weekend to get a post written for Monday, so i guess I’m taking another “lazy day.” So for today, I’ll pose a question for y’all to answer in the comments:

What’s your least favorite part of starting a new job?

I officially start working for my new employer (same job, same building, different name over the entrance) tomorrow. For me, my least favorite part of the job right now is all the freaking new hire paperwork. Especially Form I-9. For those who are not familiar with it, Form I-9 is a form you and your employer have to fill out here in the United States to demonstrate that you are legally entitled to work in the country.

The form itself is not bad. The hard part — and even that is not that hard either — is providing a document or some combination of documents that establish (1) your identity and (2) that you are allowed to work in the United States. The easiest document for a citizen to use is a U.S. Passport, which establishes both things immediately. Unfortunately, the laws have apparently changed now your passport has to be unexpired. Sadly, I’m pretty sure my passport is expired. I’m not sure though, since I can’t seem to find my passport (or the box containing it and the other rather important documents.) So the next option is to use two separate documents, one to establish each of the criteria. Establishing identity is pretty easy, as you just need a valid driver’s license or some other government-issued picture ID. I got that.

So that leaves establishing my citizenship/eligibility for employment. Usually, a natural-born citizen establishes that by providing a state-issued birth certificate or a Social Security card. I have (or at least had) both of those…somewhere. I can’t find them either. So I’m pretty much up a creek.

I did go online and order a new birth certificate from Pennsylvania. I will get that…in about three weeks. I’m hoping the printed receipt will be enough to serve as a temporary placeholder to let me work until I can present my birth certificate at the end of the month. Some people have mentioned they think the “Enhanced Driver’s License” many of us got in order to cross into Canada by car without a passport may also work, so I’m hoping that will work if my receipt doesn’t.

Personally, I don’t understand why they need any of this. Like I said, it’s not like this is a brand new job. Is there any reason they can’t just use the form/documentation I filled out when is started under the old employer? I mean surely they have access to that from the HR department hat has now split between the two companies.

Anyway dear readers, how about you? Do you have any horror stories from starting a new job? Just something you found frustrating in the process? Share them in the comments. Or talk about whatever is on your mind.

Post History: I wrote this post on September 2, 2024.