Business owners beware ICE is in the house and has its hand in your till.  Have you seen these headlines and stories?

 “Obama Keeping Heat on Firms That Employ Illegal Workers”,

“ICE brought criminal charges against 135 employers”.

According to department of Home Land Security (DHS) secretary Janet Napolitano, “the agency will focus on renewing a priority on employers who are making money off of these illegal immigrants and giving them jobs that should be going to American workers” she further said What I want to do is deter more employers from intentionally and knowingly hiring illegal workers.” 

As of April 2010, Effective immediately, ICE will focus its resources on the criminal prosecution of employers that knowingly hire illegal workers.

ICE Director John Morton told a Senate committee during his 2009 confirmation hearings that ending unauthorized labor was a key to stopping illegal immigration.

“We cannot make sustained reductions in illegal immigration without deterring employment of unauthorized labor,” he said. “We need to place renewed focus on employers to ensure that they are playing by the rules.”

Mean while the administration has sued Arizona who is attempting to use state [law enforcement] workers to enforce the immigration laws of the country.  And on the other side of that coin this headline from the Associated Press by Julie Hirschfeld Davis:  

“Agency weighs skirting Congress on Immigration”.   The internal draft written by officials at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services outlines ways that the government could provide “relief” to illegal immigrants – including delaying deportation for some, perhaps indefinitely, or granting green cards to others – in the absence of legislation revamping the system. 

Then there is this accounting by Susan Carroll – Houston Chronicle

“18 arrested in ICE-led raid at Houston flea market” – Witnesses reported that some agents screamed “Don’t run!” in Spanish as people fled the flea market. Feinberg (ICE) said agents were targeting only the suspects identified in the criminal arrest warrants and were not making immigration arrests at the flea market.

Meanwhile elsewhere in the country; The number of workplace arrests (of illegal workers) dropped from 1,100 nationally in 2008 and 410 in 2009, to just 273 so far this fiscal year.  Meanwhile ICE is conducting “silent raids” scouring over employee records of more than 2,900 firms and has levied a record $3 million in civil fines.

Are you confused yet?   Just what is the ICE policy?  As you can see from the information ICE and the administration aren’t interested in arresting illegal immigrants, quite the opposite they are discussing ways to implement policy allowing illegal immigrants to remain in the U.S.  But they want them totally dependent on the government and they are “taxing” businesses to help pay the tab. 

ICE is holding raids in known areas where illegal immigrants are but they aren’t targeting them [illegal immigrants] ICE is targeting the people who are selling the fake documents. 

ICE is also holding “silent raids” or audits at businesses and when they find evidence of incomplete employee files and documents they aren’t collecting the illegal immigrants for deportation, but are issuing civil penalties, a record $3 million so far this year.  And in approximately 5% of the time ICE is arresting the business owner. 

Once again the government has crafted policy and enforcement that taxes businesses and tax payers while creating new dependents for political gain.  It’s all about the money!   

Rick Matthews

P.S. As an employer your liability is increasing at a record pace.  Consider this each year the federal government creates over 150 regulations costing businesses over $100 million in compliance costs.  According to a study by the National Federation of Independent Businesses, owners ranked unreasonable government regulations as the 6^th most critical issue facing business.  Learn about the ultimate solution to this and other dangerous trends facing businesses at www.primaryhroutsourcing.com

Timeless aren’t they, the words of Dickens. 

Looking back at the last couple of years you can see how the words fit so well.   We saw a global thawing (some think melt down) and yet others found nothing but opportunity.   

In March of this year (2010) the Kaufmann Foundation published a study on entrepreneurial activity in 2009 in the good ol’ US of A.  What was determined in the study is that 2009 saw record entrepreneurial activity; approximately 558,000 new businesses were started per month.  That equates to 194 new businesses every 15 minutes or a new business every 5 seconds.  WOW! 

If you’re a business owner that has to concern you, it’s getting more difficult to market to your customers without millions of new businesses also trying to get their dollars out of their pocket. 

If you’re a consumer then your life just got more “cluttered”.  In 1992 consumers were bombarded with more than 3000 commercial messages care to guess how many by 2006?  And now there’s more than half a million new businesses each month adding to the clutter. 

You might be thinking that 2009 was an anomaly but consider these facts from the study.  While the overall average was 340 out of 100,000 people started businesses, immigrants were starting businesses at a rate of 500 per 100,000 this was the fastest group.  Second fastest group (drum roll) people ages 55 to 64 at a rate of 410 per 100,000.  So here’s a question what are the two fastest growing groups of people in society currently?   Yep you guessed it immigrants and those whose age is 55 to 64 and that trend will be continuing for many years.  It stands to reason then that we will experience higher than normal (if not record) entrepreneurial activity for years to come.

So just where are your customers going?  Perhaps a better question is, what can you do to ensure your customers will keep coming back to you?  Or perhaps, what experience does my customer need to have (with my company) so they won’t feel a need to go somewhere else.  Answer those question then they won’t be going anywhere, will they?  Are there other questions you can ask that will help you improve the relationship you have with your customers, sure there are.  I’d bet you and your team could come up with great questions that when answered will strengthen your company’s position within the minds of your customers.   To coin a phrase by Ben Franklin – a customer saved is a customer earned. 

I am always at you service,

Rick Matthews

We help businesses prosper. 

We help business owners make their businesses more secure, reduce employer liability and increase profits.   www.primaryhroutsourcing.com

One of the biggest challenges in human resources management is keeping a drug and alcohol-free workforce.  For a small, growing businessperson, it is the last thing they want to worry about, but it is so essential.  Employees with alcohol and drug problems are a huge liability and a disaster for your revenues. 

Lost work time, decreased work productivity, injuries, worker’s comp, common errors, and sheer unpredictably make for an expensive recipe.  Here are 5 tips for implementing a new drug policy in your business.

1.  Use Progressive Policies

Some employers make the mistake of implementing a rigid, authoritative drug policy in which an employee with an addiction will be immediately terminated.  This is not as effective as one might think, and it will make employees much less likely to seek help when it is needed. 

A more progressive option is to allow flexibility in your response so you can base it on the given circumstances.  It has been proven time and time again that treated employees can become a more valuable employee and result in more productivity for the company. 

2.  Communicate With Employees

The rehashed drug prevention programs we sat through in elementary school aren’t going to cut it with this crowd.  All employees first off need to have a solid understanding of your drug-free workplace policy—not just that you have one but all the specifics.  In addition, drug and alcohol education should go into the deep, psychological causes of addiction and relapses.  They need to truly understand the condition in order to prevent or solve a problem. 

3.  Offer Treatment

Treatment should always be made available.  There are programs out there that can provide the option for treatment at all times on a confidential basis, so the employee can just show up without you or anyone else knowing. 

When someone gets that chance to better themselves and their life, they emerge a motivated and highly productive individual that may in many cases be a top-performing version of the employee you once hired.  They will appreciate you being there for them even if you never knew that you were.

4.  Don’t Make Accusations

Never come right out and ask an employee if they are on drugs or are an alcoholic.  In the vast majority of cases, this is going to provoke a hostile, defensive response, and in some cases it can even lead to a lawsuit.  It should always be approached in a roundabout way—possibly alluding to a change in their work habits.  If they admit having some kind of personal problem, they can be referred to a counselor who knows how to get the employee to admit dependency on their own. 

5.  Implement Manager Training

If anyone is going to recognize the signs of alcohol and drug abuse in your employees it will be the managers who work with them on a daily basis.  Education should always start with them. 

Teach them what to look for, when it is time to refer an employee for alcohol or drug counseling, and how to recognize the signs and step in to intervene before it has gone too far.  Of course, your managers are people too, and they can also make mistakes, so teach them to watch out for each other and give them options for seeking help for themselves when needed. 

This is a big project, and you might not feel ready to implement an alcohol and drug policy, let alone train your entire staff to prepare.  Like most issues of human resource management, however, this can be outsourced to a firm that is experienced with these issues.  They can come in, train your staff, and help you write your policy.  Sometimes it takes that kind of outside help to move forward and evolve, and in this modern society, this is a step in evolution you cannot afford to wait out.

This means that if you are not implementing strategies to keep your workforce drug-free, you are seriously putting yourself at risk.  Not only can drug and alcohol cause missed days and lower productivity but impaired abilities from using both on and off the job can lead to accidents and workers comp claims.   

It’s time to get serous, and the first step is learning to recognize what is going on before the biggest problems occur.  Unfortunately, the symptoms of addiction are not always the same.  It’s impossible to list or detect all the possible symptoms, but an awareness of changes in behavior or something being awry is something that you can and should do.

Pay attention to big changes in behavior especially, including frequent changes in temporary behavior or a bigger long-term change like sudden frequent occurrences of mishaps on the job or missed days of work.  Some people may act out, get irritated easily, or talk faster.  Others may lose energy, slur their words, or lose coordination. 

Of course, someone who smokes marijuana or is addicted to alcohol may give themselves away just by the way they smell, but it is not always so clear-cut.  I highly recommend implementing a drug testing program to protect your company.

First, you will need to develop a clear and concise policy.  Having a strong policy in the first place will discourage many users from even applying for a job and will save money over time with decreased costs on treatment, compensation claims, and productivity. 

The policy should be as clear as possible.  It should go into detail about why the measures are taken and what is expected of employees as well as what will absolutely not be tolerated.  Also outline actions that will be taken whenever someone is found to be in violation.

After your policy is instituted, you need to develop a drug testing program, which can be put together with the help of an outside human resources management firm if you do not have the experience for this in-house.  In many ways, the program will act merely as a deterrent, and in cases where the policy is breached, it can serve as evidence. 

Testing can occur before new candidates are brought on to the team, after an accident occurs, randomly after an employee with a prior violation is back to work, or on regular basis for everyone.  You can also retain the right in your policy to test any time you see reason for suspicion.  Make sure you check with local laws to find out what is allowed in your area as far as testing procedures go.

Do not get too discouraged if you get a lot of positive tests when the program first launches.  This is natural and, unfortunately, to be expected.  Over time this will change as future candidates catch word about your policy, and within a couple years you will have a consistent work environment and a very low rate of positive tests. 

It is a winning battle as well as one worth ensuing, and by taking on experts who have done it all before you can get all the guidance you need.

Until next time

I am always at your service,

Rick Matthews

We help business owners increase profits, solve employment problems, reduce employer liabilities and protect valuable assets thru outsourcing.  www.primaryhroutsourcing.com

1.  Expertise

People often look first at cost savings when outsourcing, but one of those most undervalued components of an outsourcing firm is their expertise.  When you work with a credible provider, you are accessing resources that are wholly focused on human resources. 

An in-house HR sector, on the other hand, is limited because the overall goal of the company is still the product or service offered.  A PEO has unrivaled experience offering human resources for a variety of different organizations.  They have seen it all, they know what works, and they are committed to building the most effective processes they can.

That IS their business.

2.  Avoid Lawsuits

With expertise comes a broad knowledge of laws and policies that might affect your company.  When you have a business to run, it is hard to keep up on constantly changing employment law, and if you don’t have a solid understanding of the American legal system, it can be downright impossible. 

3.  Enhance Productivity

A PEO is not just well-versed in legal mumbo jumbo and protecting your reputation, they also are current on the best practices for increasing employee productivity.  Not to mention that if the right tasks are outsourced, employees can be left to focus energy where it matters most.

Lastly, they know what policies are best for making your employees feel comfortable and empowered in the workplace, such as diversity and inclusion programs.  Not for reputation purposes, but for the good of your workers.  If you haven’t realized it yet, what’s good for your workers is what’s good for the bottom line.

4.  Save Money

Well, that’s all great—but what about money?  After all, you are in the business of doing business, right?  Outsourcing human resource management is extremely economical—this is why most people start in the first place.  Make sure that if this is your number one reason that you don’t cut corners finding professional help, but freeing up manpower, stream-lining processes, and increasing increased productivity equals cut costs and business growth. 

5.  Be More competitive

Like a domino effect, cutting costs and increasing productivity can set you far ahead of the competition.  In this recession, most companies will take as much of either as they can get. 

6.  Evolve Your Company

What it really comes down to is evolving your organization.  If you haven’t heard it said many times before, maybe you haven’t been listening—a business that stops changing is a business that is dying.  You always need to be getting better at what you do.  More sophisticated.  More complex.

Outsourcing takes company resources out of areas where they are not needed and puts them in the hands of an outside force.  This allows you to rechannel your own resources into improving other areas and creating new positions that add more value to the company.

Even if you are a smaller firm that wants to start acting like a bigger firm so you can take advantage of these 6 benefits, you can start looking at human resource management as something better left to the experts.  In fact, it makes even more sense for a smaller business without the hierarchy and many departments of a multinational corporation. 

Take a hard look at how much time you spend on managing these areas of your company.  Could that time be spent somewhere else where it would add more value?  Are you even doing that great of a job, or is lack of expertise holding you back?  Ask yourself the hard questions and decide now if it is time to take the next step.

I am always at your service,

Rick Matthews

www.primaryhroutsourcing.com

Money is the number one cause, or more appropriately the lack of money is the number one cause for business failures.  Is it that the business didn’t have enough money, or that the money it had (earned) didn’t go far enough?  Or perhaps the business made enough money to survive but errors resulting in penalties and fines over whelmed the cash flow causing the failure. 

Over the years working with all types of businesses I’ve observed that businesses usually generate enough profit margins to succeed as long as nothing goes wrong.   As long as all their customers pay on time and don’t bounce checks, as long as they don’t miss payments and incur late fees, as long as there’s a steady stream of work and as long as there are no mistakes handling payroll, payroll taxes, garnishments, and other employee related expenses.   In other words as long as everything is perfect.   Perfect plans exist and most start-up businesses conceive perfectly how to execute the plan, but unfortunately perfect execution doesn’t exist, and therein lies the rub.  Stuff happens and when it does businesses fail. 

Recently I was talking with a valued customer we were remembering how long we’ve been working together (since the last century) he pointed out he hired us before he opened his business.  The next day I was visiting with another of our valued customers and he commented about his start.  He’s been a customer for more than six years; he too hired us before his first employee and just days before he began working on a new plant project.  This got me to thinking, of our “startup” customers how many of them are still operating today? 

I have to admit I wasn’t surprised by the results I’ve started other businesses including this one and know that limiting the number of things that can go wrong is extremely important after all plans are perfect it’s the execution that isn’t.   What we found is of the business owners who had decided to start their own business and hired us before they hired employees sixty-one percent (61%) are still in business at five years and of all that passed that milestone and are 10 years old or older 92% are still in business. 

Now I’d love to say that statistic is due to our ability to choose great customers (and we do) but the truth is our customer have an advantage other businesses owners don’t have.  Our customers are able to focus on the “business of their business” that is they can focus on growing their business, training their employees how to be great ambassadors, getting paid on time and all the important revenue generating activities that contribute to the life blood of the business.  Conversely they are not distracted by “the business of employment” and spending precious resources on matters that does not generate any revenue.

Another benefit of our services is we stabilize cash flow.  Cash flow is the life blood of any business and spikes in cash flow demands (like down payments for insurance products) can give a business financial heartburn.   Periodic cash demands for payroll taxes, unemployment taxes and other quarterly or monthly tax demands can also provide cash flow indigestion.  If a business is late on any of these demands then penalties and interest that accrue often outstrip the profit margins of the business leading to failure. 

So there you have it working with us provides stability to businesses by steadying cash flow, lessening the demands of non revenue generating activities and provides owners the ability to focus on growing their business.  You can learn more about our services by visiting our website (www.primaryhroutsourcing.com) and downloading a free report “Increase Profits – Three Steps to Lowering the Cost and Liability Associated with Employees”

I am always at your service,

Rick Matthews

The pendulum swings

This time last year as the debate regarding health care reform raged on carriers were motivated to sway public opinion and attempted to do so by offering some of the lowest rates we’d seen in years.  For a short time we saw employee rates for group plans back into the $1 per hour range, since the law has passed the price pendulum has swung away from business and families and it’s likely to swing even further in the coming years.  (check out the benefits tab to see some of the reasoning).

A dual benefit you can use

During the second term of President Bush congress enacted some changes to health insurance that give people the chance to gain control of their health dollar.  The programs weren’t touted in the media and certain state insurance commissioners attempted to block their effectiveness.  Regardless they appear to have come through the current reform mostly unscathed although Congress did limit one benefit that would have helped families reduce medical costs.  [We’ll discuss that a bit later]

Previously Congress established the HDHP – High Deductible Health Plan, and with it the HSA – Health Savings Account.  Now not every health plan with a high deductible is a HDHP.  To qualify as a HDHP a plan has to function within certain parameters which are adjusted by Congress each year. 

 On the short list of items to qualify as a HDHP the deductible has to be within a range between $1,200 to $5,950 for self only coverage and $2,400 to $11,900 for families.  Since a majority of small business plan deductibles are already beyond the $1,200 mark you can begin to see the confusion the name has equally true also for those who purchase high deductible plans with deductibles for individuals beginning at $5000.00.  But let’s not get stuck on the name, for what’s in a name a rose by any other ….. I’m sorry I digress (at least my English Lit teacher would be proud). 

The key is if you have a HDHP you can qualify to have a HSA or Health Savings Account.  The HSA was also established by Congress and signed in to law by President Bush.  It allows individuals to put away money tax-free to meet medical expenses, similar to an IRA the money set aside will grow tax-free and the contribution is tax-deductible.  Unlike an IRA you can actually use the money before you retire without penalty as long as it is used on qualified medical expenses.  The maximum contribution for an individual with a qualified HDHP is $3,050 and $6,100 for family. 

Now you may be thinking you’ve heard of this program before as a Flex-spending account comes to mind.  A HSA is different, first the money can only be used on un-reimbursed medical expenses including vision and dental (to see a complete list of benefits look up Publication 502 and Publication 969 available from the IRS) expenses and second which is perhaps the most important benefit is it rolls over year after year.  That’s right, no use it or lose it feature.   

How one takes control with a HSA

So how do you put this information to work for you, it’s simple.  First you get a qualified HDHP (for you and your family) then establish and fund to the max your HSA.  Don’t worry if you can’t put the max in day one, you can put regular contributions in up to the max allowed that year before the last day of the year.  The best scenario would be to get a qualified HDHP with the lowest out-of-pocket expense available.  More often than not it’ll be a $1500 out-of-pocket for an individual and $2,500/$5,000 for a family.  Now if that causes your heart to skip a beat keep in mind even a modest $1,500 deductible plan with a 80/20 co-insurance benefit will have an out-of-pocket expense of $10,500 for a family.  As you can see the HDHP is less than half the exposure of a modest 80/20 plan.  

Once you have the plan in place begin systematically putting money in your HSA, keep in mind these dollars are “pre-tax” and you may be able to locate the funding dollars by making an adjustment on your tax withholding (form W-4)[i]. 

At the end of each year you’ll see how much savings you have accumulated, that’s money set aside for your medical expense that you did not spend which rolls over to the next year.  As your HSA account builds you’ll be able to adjust the out-of-pocket expenses of your HDHP and thereby lower your monthly premium expenses.  In theory in a few short years you could have the maximum exposures of the out-of-pocket expenses set aside in your HSA and generate a surplus that will be available for other purposed at retirement.   

Like to learn more about these plans and benefits leave your questions in the comment section and I’ll send you more information on alternative benefit programs.  You can also visit the National Association of Alternative Benefit Consultants at http://www.naabc.com/ to find people in your comuinity that can help.

Until next time

Always at your service,

Rick Matthews

 We help business owners increase profits, solve employment problems, reduce employer liabilities and protect valuable assets thru outsourcing.  www.primaryhroutsourcing.com

Note: DISCLAIMER: This information is offered NOT as a solicitation to sell insurance, it is offered as a discussion of options you may want to learn about.  You’ll need to contact your health insurance agent if you are shopping for medical insurance, they’ll appreciate your support.

Charges include that the corporate giant gives fewer promotions to women, gives these promotions less, and pays men more for doing the same work.  Plaintiffs also point out that even though a majority of employees with the company are female, only 1/3 of the managerial staff are women. 

While it has recently received the go-ahead from the 9^th Circuit Court of Appeals and is moving forward as a class action suit, there is an extremely good chance that Wal-Mart will be taking this one further by appealing to the Supreme Court.  According to the multinational corporation, Dukes v. Wal-Mart shouldn’t apply across the nation because of the way their organization is structured.  The framework of the corporation consists of a multitude of smaller entities that enact their own policies and operate like stand-alone entities. 

When you look at the size of the case, something else they are contesting, it’s no surprise they want to appeal.  If the case is allowed to move forward as a class-action, it could involve well over a million female plaintiffs.  Add in the typical penalties for gender discrimination and you are talking about a sizable dent in a company that is already suffering in the recession.  Not to mention the possible effects this case going public will have on their consumer base. 

However, this case is much bigger than Wal-Mart, who is certainly not the only company that could be singled out for disparities in pay among genders, and this is why I bring it up.  It could have a significant impact on how employers are held accountable for these situations and what will be expected in the future.

In this day and age, gender bias can be extremely expensive for business.  It’s easy to dismiss what is happening to Wal-Mart as something that could never happen to your company. 

After all, this corporate giant has had well more than its share of bad attention in the realm of labor practices, and many maintain that they would not be where they are today if not for taking advantage of employees on many different fronts.  That said, they have done a lot of PR cleanup in recent years and have made considerable improvements to their reputation.  This huge relapse is a stark reminder of how past mistakes can catch up with an organization.

And unfortunately, gender discrimination can be one of those things that creeps into the culture of a company unnoticed.  Sometimes these things are so ingrained in our culture that there is no official policy—they just kind of happen whether we are conscious of it or not. 

By no means does that make it any less immoral, or less expensive, for that matter, but it is yet another concern that deserves much focus when analyzing your own company policies.  That tendency for it to silently grow is where it gets particularly dangerous for a business owner.  And it’s why it is essential to get the opinion of an expert on the outside looking in. 

We cannot always see these things for ourselves, but if Dukes v. Wal-Mart has its day, there could be some big changes in the way these kinds of cases are looked at, and the resulting wave of similar cases is not something you want to catch while you’re sleeping.

“What happens if I have undocumented workers working at my company?”

Back then as was often the case with owners of small businesses they have a position to fill, it requires manual labor, isn’t a glamorous position, or there isn’t profit enough to pay higher wages and the company doesn’t get any applications from potential employees eligible to work in the U.S.  So they hire the people who are willing and able so they can keep their doors open and produce the product.  

It turns out my friend employed workers who lived in the U.S. but didn’t have proper documentation to work in the U.S.  They had been working for some time and appeared to be the only option for my friend as he’d attempted to hire citizens but no one responded.  Or so the story goes. 

As I mentioned this wasn’t an uncommon occurrence the fact is his competitor down the street was doing the same thing. 

So back to the question; this was the time before the DHS (Department of Homeland Security), back then being found with form I9 violations (undocumented workers) would result in administrative fines.  I explained this and my friend quickly calculated the exposure and said “I can handle that I’ll just put the money in an account and keep on working”.   I told my friend that although that was a tactic it wasn’t the best course of action and that the laws certainly would be changing and that he should take steps now to hire documented workers.   We finished our conversation and parted.  The next day we both flew back to our homes, it would be a little over a year before we would see each other again.

During the following year the laws changed as expected and the DHS was now tasked to address immigration and worker eligibility.  Along with the change were stiffer fines and consequences that included jail time for violations of the act. 

I saw my friend again at the convention the following year, when I asked him how it was going he told me he fired all the undocumented workers.  I asked what changed his mind and his response was.  “The DHS raided my competitors business, it was all over the news both paper and TV, when I saw that I knew I didn’t want to be that guy, the next morning I told my undocumented workers they had to go.   I’m glad I did because the next week there was an article in the paper the owner of the [my competitions] business was being charged with criminal charges for hiring “illegal workers” they took his business and his home.  That really scared me”.

My friend was lucky he took care of the issue before it took care of him.  Take a look at your workforce if you have undocumented workers you need to take action and correct the issue.  If you need a bit more motivation then simply look at the actions proposed by the DHS secretary Janet Napolitano, “the agency will focus on renewing a priority on employers who are making money off of these illegal immigrants and giving them jobs that should be going to American workers” she further said What I want to do is deter more employers from intentionally and knowingly hiring illegal workers.” 

As of April 2010, Effective immediately, ICE will focus its resources on the criminal prosecution of employers that knowingly hire illegal workers.

Do your friends a favor and let them know the issues so they too can protect their business.  

Until next time

Always at your service,

Rick Matthews

 We help business owners increase profits, solve employment problems, reduce employer liabilities and protect valuable assets thru outsourcing.  www.primaryhroutsourcing.com

I don’t want to be an alarmist, but if you own a business and have employees, you have been targeted!

Wage War: DOL Launches Aggressive “We Can Help” Enforcement Outreach

April 7, 2010 at 2:15 pm by: HR Hero Alerts

Senate HELP Committee Hears Testimony on Paycheck Fairness Act

March 11, 2010 at 12:19 pm by: HR Hero Alerts

Immigration Crackdown: DHS Launches Thousands of H-1B Inspections, I-9 Audits

November 20, 2009 at 8:07 pm by: HR Hero Alerts

DHS Shifts Worksite Enforcement Strategy to Employers, Not Illegal Workers

May 4, 2009 at 8:36 pm by: HR Hero

Mass Audit Notices from ICE Evidence of New Immigration Tactic

July 6, 2009 at 5:03 pm by: HR Hero Alerts

In 1975 Jaws was the block buster of the summer, a great white shark turned man-eater terrorizing the island waters of Amity. 

 The irony is that same decade the few human resource laws revolving around employment began gaining traction.  First designed to govern the workplace of the largest corporations with time the laws would explode in number and impact the smallest businesses.   Today almost 35 years later there are over 300 federal and state laws governing employment in these United States.  

Like the great white shark, sensing a vulnerable and abundant prey, law makers continue to create laws governing employment and agencies whose business it is to enforce the laws.   I imagine those tasked with the business of enforcing the laws saying “brother business is good” as can be seen from; 

EEOC Discrimination Charges Set Records in 2009

January 7, 2010 at 11:18 am by: HR Hero Alerts

If you’re a business owner you’re as vulnerable and as likely to be attacked as the swimmers in Amity by a predator whose sole existence is to attack you.   No less terrifying than Jaws, the agencies charged with enforcing the employment laws are not only out in the deep waters of the large employer pool they also are in the crowded shallower waters of the small employer pool.  You can find them swimming in your payroll, safety, benefits, employment practices and workers compensation programs. 

 How do you protect your business and your assets, one way is to get out of the water.   

 Always at your service,

Rick Matthews

P.S. For the past 18 years I’ve been showing business owners how to “get out of [the employment] water” and still have direction and control over the work site by deploying outsourcing strategies.  If you want to learn more visit our site at www.primaryhroutsourcing.com or email info@PBS-HR.com