HR Initiative to Continue Effort to Secure a Stronger Employment Verification System

Washington, D.C. – Despite today’s Senate cloture vote that apparently derailed the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act, S. 1639, the HR Initiative for a Legal Workforce will continue its efforts to strengthen the employment verification system for U.S. employers.

“While we supported the process, the Senate immigration bill lacked critical provisions necessary to ensure a legal workforce,” said Susan R. Meisinger, President and CEO, Society for Human Resource Management, and co-chair of the HR Initiative.  “As Congressional leaders consider next steps, we urge both the House and Senate to recognize that employment verification is the most essential part of effective immigration reform.  We urge Congress to adopt a safe, reliable and equitable system that meets the needs of employers and employees.”

The HR Initiative advocates a secure electronic employment verification system that would verify employee identity through the use of additional background checks and state-of-the-art technology, such as the voluntary use of biometrics or other theft-proof methods.

“We look at today’s vote as an opportunity for Congress to refocus the immigration reform debate and consider solutions that could prevent unauthorized workers from entering the U.S. workforce,” said Lynn Shotwell, Executive Director, American Council on International Personnel, and co-chair of the HR Initiative. 

Shotwell noted that without Congressional action, states and municipalities across the nation will continue to create a patchwork of regulations to the detriment of employers and employees alike.

“Despite today's vote, the immigration debate is not over,” said Jeff McGuiness, President of HR Policy Association.  “American employers are committed to replacing a broken system with one that provides law-abiding employers with a degree of certainty both as to whom they are employing as well as compliance with the law.”

The HR Initiative for a Legal Workforce includes:

•    American Council on International Personnel
•    College and University Professional Association for Human Resources
•    Food Marketing Institute
•    HR Policy Association
•    International Public Management Association for Human Resources
•    National Association of Manufacturers
•    Society for Human Resource Management
 

The Human Resource Initiative for a Legal Workforce (www.legal-workforce.org) represents human resource professionals in thousands of small and large U.S. employers representing every sector of the American economy.  The HR Initiative and its members are seeking to improve the current process of employment verification by creating a secure, efficient and reliable system that will ensure a legal workforce and help prevent unauthorized employment, a root cause of illegal immigration.