Business leaders are facing a new challenge amid the Trump administration’s immigration crackdowns: how to talk to employees about their fear and anxiety about Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids.
ICE agents are increasingly showing up at workplaces, schools, restaurants, and other community gathering spots in predominantly Latino areas. For many businesses, putting a plan in place if that happens is the first order of business.
“If you are potentially subject to raids, and are not communicating something out to your employees about this, to me, that’s negligence,” Kevin Martin, chief research officer and CHRO advisor for research firm i4cp, recently told my colleague Brit Morse.
Beyond that, however, bosses should know that many of their employees might not be worried about getting arrested themselves, but they could be affected in other ways, whether it’s through a friend, family member, or simply a sense of looming fear within their community.
Internal messaging is key, and even if bosses don’t want to make public statements, they should address what’s going on in the U.S. right now. Offering employees flexible work arrangements is another way to make people feel more at ease. And while employers should not offer legal advice themselves, they can offer employees referrals to external resources, including local immigration attorneys, support groups, or emergency hotlines.
“I think we have to look at all of the tools in our toolkit as employers, that allows people to be successful,” says Nonnie Shivers, an employment lawyer and managing shareholder at firm Ogletree Deakins.
You can read more about how to talk to your workers about immigration crackdowns here.
Sara Braun
[email protected]
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