The Feds have raided Howard Industries in Laurel, Mississippi and arrested some 600 undocumented workers. News like this, as posted this time on Breitbart, proves embarrassing for any business. And costly. You lose your workforce, face fines and even the threat of being closed for an indefinite period.
Your clients don’t like to read about it and may shy away. The public, in general, has their own opinions about it that may sour your branding. So no matter how you look at it, hiring undocumented workers is a good idea until you get caught.
To prevent the embarrassment and the penalty costs, it would be wise to run either I-9 Verifications on Social Security Traces on your employment candidates, as well as criminal searches. It is difficult enough to be raided and have Federal Agents arrest undocumented workers in your place of business. It is much worse if the undocumented workers have criminal histories.
Crackdowns on undocumented workers will probably occur with increasingly frequency. As more states pass stiffer penalties for hiring undocumented workers, your business will face the possibility of raids from the state as well as federal authorities.
Do yourself a favor and check them out before you hire.
