HRI eBULLETIN :: JULY 2011
Heat
Illness Prevention - IT'S THE LAW
All California employers with employees in outdoor places must train
them on heat illness prevention once a year. Heat illness prevention
is one of the most popular trainings that we offer our clientele during
these hot months. Take note of your environment when that thermometer
reads bright red. Are you providing your
employees with the tools they need to prevent them from heat exposure?
5 Critical Steps to Keep Employees Cool
- Provide plenty of drinking water
- Provide a shaded area for rest and meal breaks.
- Give employees time to acclimate to the heat
- Train the employees on the signs and symptoms of heat illness
- Know emergency steps
Whether your employees work outside in the hot sun with little protection from the elements or with high heat and little insulation in enclosed areas, make sure you train your employees to protect them from heat exhaustion, stroke, dehydration, and fainting spells.
Call us at 925.556.4404 to schedule your training today!
Food handler cards: Restaurants, Are you ready?
The new food handler card law is now in effect. All employees who handle food must obtain a Food Handler Card on or before July 1, 2011, or within 30 days of hire if hired after June 1, 2011.
A California Food Handler Card is valid for three years, and food facility operators are required to maintain record of a current card for each employee. Local health departments will enforce the mandate during the inspection process.
For more information about the card or the test to obtain one, contact your HRI representative. Additional resources:
SSA No Match Letters: Have you received one?
On
April 6, 2011, the Social Security Administration (SSA) started re-sending "no-match
letters." The letters are sent to the employers and employees when
the employee name or social security number listed on their W-2 does
not match the SSA records.
A no-match letter doesn't not mean that the employee has done anything wrong, and the SSA clearly states that it is no reason for an employer to take adverse action against the employee. The letter may have been triggered by a failure to inform the SSA of a name change, a typographical error, or false social security numbers used by the employee or someone else. In fact, I-9 re-verification or termination based on solely receiving a no-match letter can violate anti-discrimination law. That said, these letters must be taken seriously by employers.
Under the new regulations, employers who fail to comply with the “employer instructions” listed on the letter may be held liable for criminal and civil penalties. Ignoring them can be construed as knowingly hiring an illegal worker and could face fines of up to $10,000 per worker and incident. ICE could certainly use this against an employer if they were to later learn during an audit —announced or otherwise — that the employer employed an unauthorized worker.
While the SSA does not routinely share mismatch information with other agencies, it does provide ICE with information regarding earnings reported on social security numbers assigned for non-work purposes and other specific information relevant to ICE investigations. It's no secret that ICE audits are on the rise. While ICE conducted 27 audits in California last year, this year the targeted number is 1,000. To date, organizations have had to payout anywhere from $310,51 to $18,100,000 in fines for continuing to employ unidentified workers.
Click here for more information about no-match letters. To receive more information about steps to take in response to an SSA No-Match Letter, or to request an SSA No-Match Kit, give us a call: 925.556.4404.
E-Verify
E-Verify is an internet-based system operated solely by the Department of Homeland Security in partnership with Social Security Administration. It verifies the validity of I-9 information provided by new employees to confirm their ability to work in the United Sates.
Using E-Verify can ensure that the documentation you receive is valid before ICE or other government agencies audit your records. As of June 16, 2011 there have been 2,338 ‘silent’ audits, a number that has already surpassed the number of audits from last year (see Miriam Jourdan's article in the The Wall Street Journal, More 'Silent Raids' Over Immigration).
There is no charge to use E-Verify and it’s It's an integral part of the ICE IMAGE program. It's use is mandatory for employers with federal contracts over $50,000, and voluntary for other employers. Currently, there are more than 238,000 employers are enrolled in the program, and there have been over 3 million cases run through the system in fiscal year 2011.
For more information on how to use E-Verify, contact your HRI representative.
HRI FYI
In recognition of recent gasoline prices, the Internal Revenue Service announced an increase in the optional standard mileage rates for the final six months of 2011. The rate will increase to 55.5 cents a mile for all business miles driven from July 1, 2011, through Dec. 31, 2011. This is an increase of 4.5 cents from the 51 cent rate in effect for the first six months of 2011.
QUESTIONS or concerns?
We've got your back. Give us a all. 925.556.4404.
