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Immigration

A ‘Perfect storm’ for organized labor is forming over Texas

08/01/2006

For Texas employers, the long-range forecast shows an unstable union atmosphere over the next several years, with pressure building from health care costs, outsourcing and immigration reform. As the united front of the AFL-CIO and the new Change to Win union blow through the state, damage may be significant …

Don’t break wage promises to visa holders

08/01/2006

Employers who rely on the expertise of foreign scientists, engineers and nurses would be wise to review the processes they use to recruit and pay employees under H-1B visas. The EEOC has taken a keen interest in whether promises made to induce foreign talent into the United States are being honored. And more visa holders are hiring lawyers and suing for broken promises …

Handling ‘No-Match’ letters: Heed new DHS guidance

08/01/2006

Under the Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA), employers must verify the employment eligibility of all new hires within three days of the date of employment. Both employer and employee must sign an I-9 form that lists the identifying documents the employee presented to verify his or her eligibility. The law is now enforced by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) …

Feds Clarify Handling of ‘No-Match’ Letters, Electronic I-9s

07/01/2006

Pay attention to a pair of new regulations released in June that aim to help you comply with the laws relating to checking new hires’ work authorization documents. The first proposed Department of Homeland Security regulation sets forth guidance on how employers should handle so-called "no-match" letters that notify employers of discrepancies with new hires’ Social Security numbers …

Do your homework to lock in the best bilingual talent

07/01/2006

Demand is rising for employees who speak multiple languages. But employers need to be cautious about hiring: Some apparently bilingual employees who look good on paper don’t always pan out as promised in the language department …

Tighten I-9 practices in advance of new legislation

06/01/2006

While Congress tries to hammer out the biggest immigration law changes in decades, Homeland Security is already cracking down. These developments will likely add new responsibilities and risks to your I-9 and visa practices …

Make note if using translator to complete I-9

06/01/2006

Q. Is there any way to obtain I-9 forms pre-printed in Spanish? —A.B., California

Immigration: Congress weighs changes; feds threaten crackdown

06/01/2006

Immigration solidified itself as the top hot-button HR issue of 2006 last month. Amid the backdrop of immigrants’ rights rallies around the country, Congress is debating legislation that could add to employers’ duties and risks in policing immigration …

Are Employee Protests a ‘Protected’ Activity?

06/01/2006

Recent immigration-related rallies have led many employees, mostly minority ones, to skip work on those days. That action sparked an important question in HR circles: How should employers react to unexcused absences caused by employees’ attending political protests? …

Illegal immigrants now hold 1 of every 20 U.S. jobs

05/01/2006

Undocumented immigrants make up almost 5 percent of the U.S. work force, and about 850,000 illegal immigrants arrive each year, according to a new Pew Hispanic Center study …