Oof, that’s a lot! 

That is one of my favorite lines from a friend when I shared some personal news.  It still sums up how we all feel today. 

There is more going on in the world than we can possibly keep track of (I suspect that’s by design).  Most of the questions that have been coming our way have been related to immigration, but changes in DEI, health care for certain people and tariffs are also swirling out there.

This isn’t a political statement.  This is about how to continue to be a good employer for our employees.  We need to acknowledge the reality that the world is changing.  For some of our employees and their families, this change may have significant impact.  And more importantly, the way that information flows today has its own challenges.

Last week I tried hard to get to some source information about immigration enforcement in my community.  I found a lot of social media posts, but very little that didn’t contain obvious bias or opinion.  The advice we’re hearing is that existing regulations will be enforced.  This is the time to be familiar with things like I-9 forms and the supporting documents, any obligations you have about subcontractors (including if you provide subcontracted services) and the rights of private employers who might be inspected.   Here’s some great information from CalChamber that explains the details behind compliance and what’s special about California.

The void of evidence and proof is being filled by feeling and conjecture.  Normal?  Yes.  Productive?  Less so.

What to do?  First, make sure we all have our facts straight.  Second, acknowledge the feelings, which are always legitimate.  Finally, make the promises you can keep.  Keep the lines of communication open with your employees and stay true to your company’s values.

Want to talk?  Drop us a note.

Jonna, Lisa, Lisha, Suzanne, Karen, Christina and Linda