Worker-verification rules hit as burdensome to businesses

Business groups yesterday criticized the immigration bill being debated in the Senate, saying its requirement of verifying that workers are legal places a bureaucratic and financial burden on them.

Under the bill, employers would need to verify the immigration status of their workers online. They would need to maintain paper and electronic versions of employees’ documents and could be more heavily fined for hiring illegal aliens.

“It shows no experience in the practicality of running a business,” said Jerry Howard, chief executive officer of the National Association of Home Builders, a trade group for the home-construction industry.

Many small-business owners do not have computer capabilities for verifying workers’ immigration status, he said. Construction projects would be delayed as the employers wait for the government to authorize employment, he said.

“Our feeling is that it would increase costs of doing business dramatically,” Mr. Howard said.

The federal government has a voluntary system for verifying immigration status called “Basic Pilot.”

A coalition of businesses and human resources personnel, the Human Resource Initiative for a Legal Workforce, also criticized the verification procedures and the accompanying burdens.

In particular, the coalition criticizes the legislation for adding to a verification system that is inaccurate, encouraging identity theft and making employers liable for the actions of contractors or subcontractors.

“The Senate proposal would require all employers to re-verify the identity and employment eligibility of all employees,” says the coalition, which includes the Society for Human Resource Management in Alexandria and the International Council on International Personnel.

“If all employers must re-verify every existing worker, the burden on the government and the private sector will cause the new system to collapse.”

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce agreed that regulatory costs and risks could increase for employers, but said the proposal would help manage an immigration problem that is out of control.

“We’re cautiously supportive of the bill,” said Randy Johnson, Chamber of Commerce vice president for employment policy.

Allowing aliens to become guest workers or gain legal status is a better option than deporting millions of people, he said.

“These people aren’t going to be deported,” Mr. Johnson said. “That’s not realistic.”

However, he said employers could be unfairly fined if they try to verify employees’ status but are deceived by false documentation.

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