Hollbrook Mohr has bylined an article on MyWay that defines the fear gripping the undocumented workers and their families, following the high profile Federal raid on Howard Industries. The article tells how nealry 600 people were detained and now there is panic among relatives in this small Mississippi town.
So all arguments for and against hiring undocumented workers aside, it is clear form this article that when the illegal workers are frightened they don’t show up for work. So when you have hundreds of people not showing up for work for an extended period of time, even for a couple of days, this can really bite into your production. The no shows will increase costs, and if the shortage of workers causes a delay in your delivery deadlines, then you will risk alienating your clients.
To say the least, frightened workers not showing up for work will affect your bottom line. It may affect it enough that you may want to reconsider whether it is really a lower cost to higher undocumented workers. Sometimes a bargain is not a bargain. Sometimes when the bargain falls apart the price tag is greater than you have ever expected. With the economic downturn, you may wish to review your employment options.
More and more companies are running background checks on their employment candidates. This is not just for managerial positions but even for lower level hires employers are conducting the Social Security Trace and the criminal background check. The Social Security Trace enables employers to validate the legitimacy of their workers.
At the end of the day it may not be your workers who shy away because they are frightened. Clients may also stay away to avoid association with bad publicity.
So check them out before you hire. You may save yourself an embarrassing moment on the six o’clock news.
