In case you’ve missed recent news, U.S. immigration agents have demanded records from businesses, including restaurants. They are asking employers to prove that their employees are legally eligible to work in the United States.
 
These audit notices can be disruptive. Keep your business running smoothly by being sure you have the required verification and employment eligibility of all your staff.   

Under federal law, employers are required to verify the identity and employment eligibility of all individuals they hire, and to document that information using the Employment Eligibility Verification Form I-9.

Homeland Security uses a three-prong approach to conduct worksite enforcement: compliance, through I-9 inspections, civil fines and referrals for debarment; enforcement, through the arrest of employers, knowingly employing undocumented workers, and the arrest of unauthorized workers for violation of laws associated with working without authorization; and outreach, through the ICE Mutual Agreement between Government and Employers, or IMAGE program, to instill a culture of compliance and accountability.

ICE’s worksite enforcement strategy focuses on the criminal prosecution of employers who knowingly hire illegal workers. ICE also uses I-9 audits and civil fines to encourage compliance with the law.

A notice of inspection alerts business owners that ICE is going to audit their hiring records to determine whether or not they are in compliance with the law. Employers are required to produce their company’s I-9s within three business days, after which ICE will conduct an inspection for compliance. If employers are not in compliance with the law, an I-9 inspection of their business will likely result in civil fines and could lay the groundwork for criminal prosecution, if they are knowingly violating the law.

The administrative inspection process is initiated by the service of a Notice of Inspection (NOI) upon an employer compelling the production of Forms I-9. By law, employers are provided with at least three business days to produce the Forms I-9. Often, ICE will request the employer provide supporting documentation, which may include a copy of the payroll, list of current employees, Articles of Incorporation, and business licenses.

ICE agents or auditors then conduct an inspection of the Forms I-9 for compliance. When technical or procedural violations are found, an employer is given ten business days to make corrections. An employer may receive a monetary fine for all substantive and uncorrected technical violations. Employers determined to have knowingly hired or continued to employ unauthorized workers will be required to cease the unlawful activity, may be fined, and in certain situations may be criminally prosecuted. 

Monetary penalties for knowingly hire and continuing to employ violations range from $375 to $16,000 per violation, with repeat offenders receiving penalties, at the higher end. Penalties for substantive violations, which includes failing to produce a Form I-9, range from $110 to $1,100 per violation. In determining penalty amounts, ICE considers five factors: the size of the business, good faith effort to comply, seriousness of violation, whether the violation involved unauthorized workers, and history of previous violations.

For another helpful article in how to prepare your establishment for an ICE Sting:  Click here

*Information taken from: https://www.ice.gov/hsi

Heartland provides employee payroll services to entrepreneurs ranging in size from small to large. Whether you are looking for a turnkey payroll service for your expanding employee base or offering a 401(k) for the first time, our full-service employee payroll services and HR services for all businesses offers reliable solutions you can trust.

 We encourage you to contact a KRHA Allied partner if you have specific questions regarding this topic. 

Employee engagement may be the "buzz" word of 2017, because it continues to top the list of concerns for executives this year.

You may be saying, "So what? Our employees don't love us and their work? Some days, we don't love them so much either. Isn't that normal?"

Yes, unfortunately, it is normal, since according to research, less than 15% of employees are actually engaged at work. However, while the norm is disengagement, you should care about being better...Why? It's costing you money.

According to Gallup's calculations, actively disengaged employees -- the least productive -- cost the American economy up to $350 billion per year in lost productivity.

OK, now we are listening...What do we do about it?

Here are some practical tips to employee engagement from Bob Kelleher, author of LOUDER THAN WORDS: 10 Practical Employee Engagement Steps That Drive Results

1. Link your engagement efforts to high performance: Employee engagement is not about employee satisfaction. The last thing you should want is a team of satisfied but underperforming employees.

2. Employee engagement starts at the top: Most studies show that a key employee engagement driver is the actions of senior leaders. Leaders must demonstrate support for an engaged company culture by personally living their company’s values.

3. Engage first-line leaders: The old adage, “employees join great companies, but quit bad bosses” is true.

4. Focus on communication, the cornerstone of engagement: Successful leaders recognize the power of a robust communication plan, one built on clarity, consistency, and transparency.

5. Individualize your engagement: Your philosophy should go beyond “treat people they way you want to be treated;” the new mantra is “treat people the way they want to be treated.”

6. Create a motivational culture: Leaders cannot motivate employees long-term. Leaders must create motivational cultures with an engaged workforce where employees can flourish and motivate each other.

7. Create feedback mechanisms: Companies need to ask employees what they think; employee engagement surveys are a great tool to assess an organization’s pulse.

8. Reinforce and reward the right behaviors: Employees are incredibly motivated by achievement, not money. Money can disengage if employees perceive unfairness.

9. Track and communicate progress: Employees are no different than leadership -- they both want to work for a ‘winning’ organization. Leaders need to reinforce “line of sight” by telling their employees where they’re going, how they’re performing, and where they fit in.

10. Hire and promote the right behaviors and traits for your culture: Although we place much emphasis on one’s educational background and skills, people generally succeed or fail because of their behaviors and traits (remember that soft skills count.)

We encourage you to contact a KRHA Allied partner if you have specific questions regarding this topic. 

Perspective Consulting, Inc.  Amy Leslie  amy@perspectiveCinc.com  913-305-6499  www.perspectiveCinc.com