4 Powerful Reasons to Hire Legal Workers
U.S. employers who hire undocumented workers are facing additional scrutiny. As a U.S. employer, you are required to confirm that each individual that you hire is a legal worker who is authorized to work in the United States. A legal worker is defined as:
• Anyone who is a U.S. citizen
• A noncitizen national
• A lawful permanent resident
• Or an alien who is authorized to work.
Recruiting or hiring undocumented workers is against the law and the penalties for knowingly hiring illegal workers can be severe. These penalties can apply to both large and small businesses, such as airports, construction companies, food processing plants, manufacturing facilities, as well as restaurants and landscapers.
1-Fines
For first and second offenses, employers can be fined from $250 to $5,000 per each illegal employee. These fines can climb up to $10,000 per illegal worker for employers with three or more offenses.
For a Pennsylvania tree trimming company, the consequence of their decision to hire and re-hire illegal workers was a $96 million dollar penalty – considered the largest payment ever levied in a case involving the hiring of undocumented workers.
2-Jail Time
In addition to substantial fines, if the courts can establish that an employer has a “pattern and practice” of knowingly hiring illegal workers, the employer could face up to six months jail time. The penalty for “harboring” illegal immigrants – defined as knowingly employing ten or more illegal workers in one year – could include a ten-year term in Federal prison.
3-Loss of Business License
In addition to being subject to hefty fines and potential jail time, employers who are found to hire illegal aliens are also subject to the revocation of their business licenses in many states.
4-Additional Liability
Be aware that under Federal law, even if your business does not directly hire undocumented workers but you hire a contractor that does, your business will be considered to have hired the alien workers and could face substantial criminal and civil penalties.
At ERG Staffing, we provide authorized workers who are fully vetted through E-Verify, as well as through background checks and drug testing, and who are ready to meet your immediate hiring needs. If you would like to learn more about our vetting process and how we can simplify hiring for your company while reducing costs, feel free to contact me at (570) 241-0667 or by email at rosaleeng@ergstaffing.com.
This form is currently undergoing maintenance. Please try again later.