Are your I9’s ready to be audited by the U.S. Government?
Asking this question now is more important than ever. Chipotle Mexican Grill is learning this the hard way. The upscale burrito restaurant has found itself in hot water as the federal government cracks down on illegal immigrant labor. As stated in an article written by Lisa Baertlein, Mary Milliken and Ed Stoddard of Reuters, the probe has lead to hundreds of employees being terminated in Minnesota. This resulted in a further investigation to include audits by the Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for Chipotle restaurants in Washington, DC and Virginia.
The US ICE agency believes that effective worksite enforcement plays an important role in the fight against illegal immigrations. They have developed a comprehensive worksite enforcement strategy that promotes national security, protects critical infrastructure and targets employers who violate employment laws or engage in abuse or exploitation of workers.
You won’t see the big raids of the past, the government is moving towards cracking down on employers by using I9 audits. The approach has changed but the outcomes are the same. It is the EMPLOYERS responsibility to verify the employee’s eligibility to work in the United States. This approach could put employer’s hiring practices under the same scrutiny by ICE as the Internal Revenue Service scrutinizes bookkeeping.
The crackdown on Chipotle and others is just another reminder of the urgency behind being compliant with employment regulations. This is not just a problem for large corporations, small and mid-sized companies are facing the same potential threat. We, at Complete Concepts Consulting, recommend a comprehensive internal compliance assessment be conducted to prevent costly fines, damaging reputation and in some cases, loss of your business. Knowledge truly is power and taking a proactive approach is the key.
Written by:
Melonie Boone MBA, MJ, PHR
Co-Chief Executive Officer and Owner
Complete Concepts Consulting
About Us:
Complete Concepts Consulting (CCC) is a human resources consulting agency in Chicago, Illinois specializing in small business Employment and Labor Law Compliance; Policy and Procedures creation and enforcement; Team Leadership and Employee Training; Recruiting; Strategic Planning; Coaching and Mentoring; Employee Retention; Payroll and Benefits Administration; Performance Management; Compensation Planning; Employee Relations; Efficiency Optimization; Process and System Improvements; Succession Planning; Relationship Management.
For More Information:
info@completeconceptsconsulting.com
http://www.completeconceptsconsulting.com/
(773) 527-1337
We are simplifying HR for Small Business!
Sources:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41463755/ns/business-us_business/
http://www.ice.gov/worksite/
