Is someone working in your house your responsibility?

I recently had a question regarding… Well, instead of me telling you- here it is:

"I employ a cleaning lady and write a check to her cleaning business. As a private home owner am I required to verify immigration status?"

So what is the answer: Check with your attorney for legal advice

What I "think" about this (this is just my opinion based on my research)

You hire a company to do a job.  You are the customer and NOT the employer and the new immigration law applies to employment practices.  So, don't worry about it…

Am I wrong to think this way? Am I a part of the problem?  If so, do I have the right to inquire about the status of a vendor's employees?

Posted December 6th, 2007 by Harry Glazer - Posted in Human Resources, Immigration | | 0 Comments

It’s the Running of the Bulls, in a Sense

Here comes the rush for all the Arizona businesses to get in compliance with the new immigration law.  Many owners around the valley have been in a stall waiting to see if this new employer-sanctions law will hold up to the legal challenge. 

Azcental.com gives this summary of the new law, “Under Arizona's new employer-sanctions law, all employers must begin using E-Verify by Jan. 1 to check the employment eligibility of new hires or risk having their business licenses suspended or revoked if caught knowingly hiring illegal workers.”   

Let’s let the numbers speak for themselves, “as of Nov. 21, only 4,733 of the more than 150,000 employers in Arizona had signed up for the program. Currently, only about 32,000 employers are using the program nationwide.” 

Many lawyers are advising their clients to wait until the last two weeks to sign up for the E-Verify program for two different reasons.  One reason for the wait is to see if the law holds up to the court challenges or if it gets delayed.  The second is to “test the system's capacity and cast doubt on its effectiveness at a time when some lawmakers in Congress are pushing to expand E-Verify to all states.”

Posted November 27th, 2007 by admin - Posted in Human Resources, Immigration, Recruiting | | 2 Comments

Understanding the New Arizona Immigration Law

Should all business owners be scrambling to make sure that they are in compliance with the new Arizona immigration laws, or just wait around to see if it ever fully integrates itself within Arizona businesses? Isn’t that the question of the last few months? Well, I guess the safe thing to do is to just be prepared for whatever happens. CBR is out to help all Arizona businesses prepare and be knowledgeable in the wake of Governor Napolitano’s signing of the new legislation. Under this new law, officially titled the Legal Arizona Worker's Act (HB 2779), Arizona employers and companies with employees in Arizona will face severe penalties for failing to comply. Lunch and Learn: Understanding the New Arizona Immigration Law is the seminar developed by CBR for their clients and all Arizona businesses to better understand the new roles and requirements of employers. RSVP now to have a seat reserved for you and your Arizona business. Its better to be safe than sorry!

Posted October 3rd, 2007 by admin - Posted in Immigration | | 0 Comments

Firms signing up for employee verification ahead of law

With the staggering number of employers still waiting out the decision on immigration, the mad rush to be in compliance is on hold for the majority of business owners. Where is your company at when it comes to the new immigration laws? Have you begun the process to be in compliance? Or, are you taking the “see what happens” approach?  According to the September 18, 2007 article in the Arizona Republic titled “Firms sign up for the employee verification ahead of law," many employers are rushing to be in compliance. When and if this new law passes, it will require that ALL employers in Arizona enroll in the E-Verify program, or risk having their business license repealed if caught with undocumented workers.  

Also stated in the article is a stat that caught my attention, “U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services said 1,117 Arizona employers were registered as of Friday.” That is more than double the 433 participants when the law was signed!  It’s still only a fraction of more than 150,000 employers in Arizona!  So, when are the other 145,000 employers going to register? What is holding YOU back from registering? Drop me a line and let me know (click on the Comment link). Or, visit CBR’s new AZ Immigration Compliance website to learn more about this issue.

Posted September 19th, 2007 by admin - Posted in Immigration | | 0 Comments