Blog: Jessica Spinks

This month we have been focusing on some interesting topics in our social media outreach and newsletter marketing. We wanted to take a closer look at those policies which imply many social implications and work place complications.   Have you thought about your company’s fraternization and nepotism policies lately? I don’t want to offer any advice on what I think you should do, but if you think you don’t need to think about it, have policies in place, or that this type of stuff would never happen in your company, THINK AGAIN!   These topics fall within the category of our “human nature” and they are ok. One might want to hire someone in our family if we think they would be great for the job (we do know them very well after all) or they have fallen into hard times and you have an opportunity for them.  Some items you might want to consider include:

Screen all of your applicants by the same criteria

Be consistent by applying the same job performance standards and expectations to every employee

Follow - impartially - company discipline policies

Be open about the policy

 

It is also perfectly natural that we may be attracted to a coworker. In this case, even if it is just a new friendship, productivity is still important in any work environment. This is where you need company policies to support your arguments. Some items you may want to consider include:  

Be aware of the high probability that it will happen

Make sure you and your employees are aware of your fraternization policies (either you allow it or you don’t)

If you do not allow it make sure employees know of the consequences

Make sure your employees know the expectation of their job description so if their productivity levels fall due to a new relationship they are not surprised by you bringing it up.

 In all of these situations if you have policies to fall back on you can basically fall back on them to support you and your company in tricky situations. For more consultation or help with these policies please visit our site at www.cbri.com or contact us at (602)200-8500

Revisiting E verify laws and the challenges it presents.   E-verify laws have been around for a while now but it doesn’t hurt to have a refresher course. On the positive side, since the system have been in place for a while now we can start to discuss the trends and possible challenges that business owners and administrators are facing, while still reinforcing the benefits of using it.   First let’s review the basics:    

• E-verify is an internet based system operated by the Department of Homeland Security in partnership with the Social Security Administration that allows participating employers to electronically verify the employment eligibility of their newly hired employees.
•  E-Verify is free and voluntary and is the best means available for determining employment eligibility of new hires and the validity of their Social Security Numbers.
• You must follow the innocent before guilty theory and never discriminate or pre- judge if someone is eligible to work or not.
• E verify must be done within 3 days of the employees start date. (check laws in your area)

  To be clear, the E verify process isn’t all bad and it was actually implemented to help employers and their processes for hiring. It is a uniform way to help reduce discrimination, and really find out whether their new hires can work or not. This reduces your liability as a company too.   In light of the social media movement, I outreached to some networks on Linked in and Twitter to see what some of the challenges were. I got some interesting responses I feel are worth sharing. One linked in participant writes that the main problem is that you can’t use it as a pre screening method, therefore you have to train and go through all of the new hire practices normally even if you might have to let them go in a few days based off of the outcome. Another contact offers advice saying that you must know what you are getting into, and to remember that e verify does not replace the normal I9 document review process. The overall solution to concerns and stresses about e verify is to make sure you stay informed.  

• Know your own states laws. The requirements for federal and state are different. In addition, laws might be changing soon especially with a new administration so stay up to date.
• If you handle E verify on your own, talk to your own networks of business owners about any questions, comments or concerns

  ** Disclaimer: Every state law is different so please check the laws for yourself.Please offer any of your thoughts and experiences by commenting on our blog.

A problem in your business could be relying too much on the HR knowledge of your long term employees. In many companies there always seems to be that one person who has been there the longest, knows the most, and always lets you know about it. In addition, the problem is that this knowledge does not last forever. Once this person leaves the company you have to start all over in which frustration sets in and time is lost.   The solution is implementing systems that will with stand the test of time and your always evolving business.   Companies are always changing and evolving with new people and ideas so having consistent systems in place are essential to running your business. In order to run an effective business you have processes put in place to run invoices, customer service concerns etc., so why not have systems to support HR, payroll, work comp, and benefits. With pairing technological systems, outsourcing your efforts to companies that do this for a living, and knowledge of people, one can solve this problem. Once you have implement systems of some sort you can expect the following:    

• Creates a company culture with consistency in operations, policies and procedures as well as overall employee morale.
• Consistent knowledge base throughout the whole company, even when new employees start.
• Systems will provide you the avenue to ensure that you have the right people in the right seats on the right bus. If there is a need for a change you will have the necessary information such as documentation, signed policies and procedures, and corrective action to make the change with your employees. 

  These so called systems can be intimidating at first. Some examples of these “systems” might be tracking systems, leveraging your technology in a uniform and consistent way, outsourcing your efforts to a company that can do it all etc. There are a variety of systems that are available to support your HR needs that include the following:  

• Time and Attendance - Tracking your employees time and attendance will provide you the information to correct attendance issues, unnecessary overtime, and job costing for specific projects.
• Payroll - Utilizing a system that is designed to reduce the number of hours you or a valuable team members spends processing payroll can allow you time to focus on the profit producing needs of your business.
• HR Management - In having an employee handbook, policies and procedures along with an HR team (like CBR) to track these items will allow you the time to focus on correcting behavior as well as making changes in your company.

  More time as a business owner to actually run the business. Less time training multiple times. Stay tuned for more typical HR problems and our solutions to them!

Here at CBR, we understand your needs and the pressures that come with operating a successful business. That’s why we have developed and made available a complete line of unmatched select services for you, our valuable clients. As your human resources partner, we work on your behalf to help reduce overhead, as well as increase your productivity and bottom line profitability! 

In keeping with our mission of supporting you with nothing less than absolute leading edge human resources solutions, it’s our privilege to introduce to you our newest strategic partner - Help My Resume (Http://www.helpmyresume.org). Help My Resume is a non-profit company like no other we’ve come across, especially in light of the hard economic climate we currently find ourselves in.   When you visit their website, your eyes immediately focus on the fact that they are "the number one source for free resume rewriting services in America. If you or some other unemployed person you know wants a competitive edge in the job market, as well as a boost of confidence that a professionally structured resume can bring, then we would encourage you to submit your resume on-line, and take immediate advantage of this no-charge service.   In addition to the resume rewriting service, Help My Resume also offers the unemployed a number of other uniquely spectacular services, and all free of charge to the public. These include – personal grants, educational scholarships, a “get healthy” program, and a "get ready" program all structured and designed to bolster the professional, physical and emotional needs that inevitably are often felt and experienced by the unemployed, in every community across our state and the nation.   During these hard times, CBR is reaching out to you…our clients, and your employees, in addition to the broader business community around us. By aligning ourselves with Help My Resume, we’re confident that by adopting a proactive stance, we are actively helping the unemployed. Below is the complete line-up of Help My Resume services you can access:  

1. Resume writing- they can help you "re-vamp" your current resume by making it industry specific and more up to date so you can stand out amongst other applicants.

2. Grant and scholarships- If you qualify one can receive grant money to pay for bills if they are experiencing hard times. If you want to enhance your resume with more education scholarships might be available to you as well.

3. Get Healthy Program- Help my resume also believes in a person feeling good about themselves and is willing to provide a free gym membership for 90 days or free equipment. This will make people healthier and more self confident.

4. Ready Start Program- Do you have an outfit for your next big interview that’s just right? You may qualify for one through this program.

As you can see, Help My Resume is an extremely timely and generous organization that quite frankly is a god-send to scores of Americans who need a guiding and steady hand in the midst of so much economic confusion and uncertainty.     Please visit their website today at: Http://www.helpmyresume.org for more information. You might also consider giving a small donation to help the poor and unemployed while you’re there. Better yet – why not get involved by signing up as a volunteer?   I’m sure all of us know someone whose life has been affected due to unemployment. As a volunteer, you can make a positive difference in the life of someone who desperately needs it, and you’ll feel good about yourself while doing it.

Have a story from work that would give your HR manager a headache?  Submit your HR horror story and you could win The Office Ultimate Package Seasons 1-4 DVD set. We are looking for stories rich in nightmarish qualities, un-PC-ness, humor, creativity and originality.

To get you thinking, here are two HR horror stories from our staff:

Example 1:

Employee had been terminated by his/her foreman supervisor but the foreman did not tell corporate. He was submitting hours and cashing in the termed employees paycheck. When the terminated employee went and filed for unemployment benefits his former company said he was still employed, when he was actually not. The company lost $3,000 because of a dishonest employee not paying attention to detail on the field.

Example 2:

An employee used the company car to attend a non-company sponsored get-together, and picked up her co-worker to attend.  They got in a car accident and it was the employee’s fault.  Employee got in trouble for using the company car and having an unauthorized person in the car.  The two employees had slight injuries, the driver sued.

How to Enter

Enter by posting your story as a "comment" to this Blog.  You must give us your name and email (which won’t be published) with your story to be considered as a potential winner.

Contest Guidelines

You will be disqualified if:

 

Your entry contains profanities

Your entry is over 300 words

Your entry is under one sentence

You do not include your first name or email

 

Stay tuned to our Facebook page, Twitter page, and blog for updates to the contest and the announcement of winners!

Deadline is Friday March 27th, 2009

* all stories are subject to be removed from site if they are inappropriate in any way.

Mass layoffs are coming across corporate America, and while most employees will remain employed throughout the upcoming recession, millions of employees may find themselves out of a job. While in some cases entire divisions or business units will be eliminated, leaving employees no way to avoid termination, there are many other cases layoffs will be more selective, for example, a 10% companywide reduction in force.

 

It’s important for employees to understand that such layoffs are not random. In layoffs of this nature, the people who are let go are picked very carefully. In fact, most bosses already have a plan in their heads about whom they will let go if they are asked to cut their team.

 

How do you keep your job? Here are a few places to start:

 

Be a star.  Bosses will go to almost any length to keep the members of their team they consider to be stars. Why? Very simply, great results are extremely important in a down economy and the best way to continue to ensure great results is to have the absolute best players on the team.

 

How you can become a star is perhaps a topic for further discussion, but it involves a lot of hard work, constantly exceeding expectations, and contributing to the organization as a whole, not just to your narrowly defined job responsibilities.

 

Don't be a thorn. Even the best players can become a liability for their boss if they take too much time and effort to manage. Generally speaking, you want your name to come up in positive contexts, never in bad ones. This means that you don't whine, you don't pick unnecessary fights, you don't break company policy, you don't constantly demonstrate how you are superior to everyone else.

 

Be nice. If people like to work with you, they will keep you around even if you are not the best performer on the team. That's human nature. Wear a smile on your face, have a positive attitude, be optimistic. Make people feel good about themselves. This does not mean that you need to be a hypocrite or a brown-noser. All this mean is that you should try to be a decent human being that people like to be around. Hey, that's good advice for life in general.

 

Don't be an easy target. Here's the trick: When it's hunting season, it's generally not a good idea to wear a target on your back. In the context of upcoming layoffs, the following would be considered volunteering for target practice: asking for raises, asking for special treatment, causing trouble or hurting morale. If you can't distinguish yourself by being a top performer or a particularly cooperative and fun team player, at least don't distinguish yourself by being the guy your boss constantly needs to defend and put out fires for.

 

Solicit feedback and drive change. Talk to your boss and to your colleagues and solicit honest feedback regarding your performance. Ask them to tell you -- point-blank -- two or three things that you can do better. When they give you the feedback you requested, don't get defensive. Thank them for being helpful and go change.  

What sounds more expensive: "being late" or "chronic employee tardiness"?

According to a recent online survey carried out by Harris Interactive on behalf of CareerBuilders.com, 43% of those surveyed say managers do not mind if they are late.  Believe it or not, the survey included almost 3,000 hiring managers and human resource professionals plus nearly 7,000 full-time employees within the United States . 

Chronic lateness is a sign something is wrong

It is nice to foster a work environment that is forgiving and pleasant, but there are some employees who will always take advantage of that while waiting for you to say something about it.  Everyone is late once in awhile and perhaps that is what is on the mind of those taking the survey, but being late, whether it is to work, at work, or the work itself, is a chronic problem and costs companies thousands in lost profits each year.

Making excuses about being late

Undoubtedly, the 43% who did not care too much about people being late were not minding about those who are occasionally late, as we all need just a little more time sometimes.  It does seem that the last ten to fifteen minutes of the morning before you leave for work (you know, the time between when you look at your watch and tell yourself, "I'm good for time this morning" and when you actually walk out the door), simply melt away.  We leave trying to figure out where those last ten minutes went.  What is more difficult, though, is trying to think of a believable excuse when there really is not one.  It is needlessly stressful.  If you worry about being late, it is a good sign.  If you are doing it regularly then something is wrong and your view about the necessity of being at work on time.

What being late says about an employee

Being late to anything is a broken promise.  People who are chronically late to work and to their meetings are therefore, by definition, regularly breaking promises.  We are all probably overly forgiving about those who are late, but a subtle message is still being sent by the employee that whatever the reason for standing up a manager or a team is seen as more important than what the manager or team has to offer.  Whether you, as a manager, see it right away, eventually it will begin to strain your working relationship with that employees and probably other team members, as well.  

If you are being late, it tells everyone you work with that you are not dependable.  Is that a message anyone would want sent?  It seems that being undependable is not a reputation that anyone seeks, but there it is.  At best, it makes you an undesirable person to have as a team member when the team is depending on meeting deadlines.

 

The cost of being late affects the company's bottom line.

Many service companies charge on a fees basis that is calculated on estimated hours needed to manage the client.  There are a number of ways to figure a cost-plus-profit number for calculating or estimating those fee levels.  Many companies use a formula that multiplies the raw salaries of those working on clients by 2.71.  In current times, if anything, it is probably even higher than that.  For example, if a person's raw salary is $60,000 per year ($29.27 per hour), then, the billing rate is $79.32 per billable hour. 

Using that figure, could be entertaining, or at least enlightening, to calculate the cost of being late.  If an employee is chronically late just 10 minutes per day, the annual cost of this would be equivalent to 39 and 2/3 days off work (260 working days, minus 12 holidays and 10 vacation days, which leaves 238 working days per year). That equals a loss of billable revenue of $3,146.36.  That's more than the same employee would probably expect in bonus at the end of the year!  Think of that.  Consider also, that people's smoke breaks are generally longer than that if only once a day—ten minutes twice a day and you are well over $6,000 per year per person!  (LINK:  For further information, see our September, 2007 article on chronically late employees.)

How much does your staff meeting cost if it starts late?

When meetings are involved the cost skyrockets.  Let's say five people at a staff meeting, including a director who could make twice the average salary, costs $476.00 per hour meeting at our indicated salary.  A ten minute delay within that hour would cost the company $80.00 in lost revenue as that time cannot be billed as working on a billable client.

If managers really put the figures to it (and you have to put your own calculations to it)there probably would no longer be a 43% of HR professionals, managers and employees who would not care if a person is late.  A no-care attitude about lateness canreally affect bottom line profits which are critical in challenging economic times.

 

How can a manager help change the pattern?

 

Time management is an important skill to learn.  Also, learning to be assertive enough to close off one conversation when another is about to require your time is a necessity to be successful in business.  As a manager, you can do yourself and your staff a favor by teaching and modeling those behaviors.  Each employee should be encouraged to do a little introspection to examine what the reasons are why each lets himself be late. 

Last but not least, when you plan on doing something, such as teaching your staff these skills, always assume that it will take more time than you think!

Thanks to Bizsandiego.com here are some really helpful tips when it comes to your HR!

 

Hiring the wrong person

30% of all business failures are linked to bad hiring. A speedy hiring and firing process can lead to a lot of bad situations. Remember your employees are the heartbeat of your company.

Ignoring government regulations 

Small businesses with an average of 20 employees or less, pay more per employee keeping in order to keep up with government regulations, than businesses with 500+. It is important to keep up with these ever changing regulations rather than pay thousands in fines.

Not having an employee handbook

  Without company policies, problems are more likely to arise. All employees should be aware of the company policies to avoid disasters and possible litigation issues.

Overlooking the importance of training  

When a company invests in employee training, continuing education, and advancing their employees skills, a company’s bottom line is bound to increase. Overlooking this could actually be a detriment to a company and their potential for success.

Failing to reward employees

 In order to retain employees and cut down on costs and increase your bottom line, it is important to reward your employees with more than just a verbal compliment. This will boost the overall morale and in return increase productivity.

• PEO’s can prevent mistakes

Today more and more companies are turning to PEO’s to avoid these mistakes. Since professional employer organizations specialize in stuff like this they can help you with hassles that you don’t want to deal with. Save money and time!

 

If you are currently using a PEO and think you are getting the most out of it, think again. There are many untapped resources that your outsourced HR professionals can help with.

Website resources- Some PEO’s might post additional resources, articles, blog topics, and ideas on their website to help you run your business more effectively.  

Get more recognition!- Your PEO might be accredited by certain organizations that also might apply to your company. (Best Places to Work etc.) They might be able to help you go through the same application process and you could be recognized in very unique ways that you didn’t think were possible before.

Recruiting- many people don’t know that this is a very traditional resource for PEO’s to offer. They are HR people after all. They can help with acquiring, interviewing, and hiring top talent. This resource can be used for all of its worth, and probably wont cost you anything extra.

Marketing- it is probable that your PEO will have some form of marketing. That department may be able to help you with your individual marketing needs. Just ask!

Recommended Vendors or Businesses- your PEO might have a list of businesses and vendors that they do business with such as printers, lawyers, and design companies. Ask for these recommendations and you could be pleasantly surprised with the good service you receive.

As a new employee here at CBR, I have experienced a company like no other, highly productive and a truly enjoyable place to work. We touched upon this topic in our newsletter, but I think it deserves a little bit more attention. (http://www.cbri.com/newsletter-0908.html)

Productivity is the best way to maximize profits and make your company a more successful place. It is the only way to make your business grow. From my own personal experience, here are a few suggestions to increase your productivity, for both business owners and their employees.

Hiring right the first time. This will cut out the time it would take if you hired the wrong person, trained them and then they left. Using a company like Predix (www.pdpworks.com), and having the right hiring processes will really help your company stay productive even when a new person starts.  

Don’t leave all your work until Friday. Get the busy, boring, and bulky stuff done at the beginning of the week because Fridays tend not to be as productive as Mondays, as we are thinking about the weekend to come.

Make your space your own. You would be surprised how much your personal space affects your productivity levels. Keep your space clean and put your own personal touches on it (plants, fountains, candles etc).

Get along with the people you work with and find out what makes them happy and more importantly not happy.

Take short breaks and get away from your desk for 30 minutes during lunch to rest your brain.

Lastly, having a job you care about will raise your productivity an immense amount.

Do you have any tips on how you stay productive?

Everyone always thinks a bigger salary equals a better life, more security, and that one will just be all around happier. Unfortunately this might not be true anymore. According to a recent article on CareerBuilder.com this is an idea that one should think about a little more closely. The article gives four clear points to back up this theory. First off if after some negotiation you actually get a raise, in the case of downsizing you could be the first one to be laid off because your pay might not match your talent or skill level. Secondly, you will lose more money at a higher salary when you get placed in a higher tax bracket. In addition, your salary could price you out of the market. Eventually at your next job, your salary could definitely outweigh your skill set and when you move jobs no one is going to pay you as much as you were earning before. Lastly, many people say that if they earned more they would be that much happier, but truthfully the time when you will be happier will be when you don’t care anymore about how much you are earning. So the next time you don’t think you earn enough sit back and enjoy the life you currently lead, it’s not so bad after all.

As the new marketing coordinator here at CBR, one of my initiatives or goals has been trying to think of new and creative ways to make us stand out at trade shows. Aside from my own ideas, I came across a very interesting article in the Phoenix Business Journal about how to do just this. Although these were good tips, some might be a little too obvious and in the end not work out to your benefit.  In business ROI is very important, so to make sure you get a return on investing your time and money into a trade show, don’t be lazy and do your homework when it comes to preparing for trade shows. Do what is best for you and your company’s overall goals. Take a second the think about these five questions.

Should you follow up immediately? Whether it’s someone that requested a full blown proposal or just gave you their business card, the natural thing to do would be to follow up right away. This is so you don’t forget the context of the conversation and so they don’t forget you. Although this is true, don’t come across as pushy. If the client is not a right fit for you and your company you should recognize that and move on. You want to be honest with them and yourself.

Should you have a give away or prize? At first look, this idea might seem like it would add a fun element to your trade show experience, and may make you more memorable against your competitors. Aside from this fact, you may get bombarded with inadequate leads and unreliable sources of business. This move might be pointless in the end.

Is knowing who is attending a good thing?  One can actually purchase a list of vendors and participants so you know who you are up against, and who you might want to visit. On this one I don’t see much harm unless you feel like it is cheating a bit. The element of surprise might be more fun!

How do you know that your message is clear and succinct?  Your company’s message should clearly communicate what you want them to believe about your company. Your messaging should be legible and obvious to everyone walking by. This is definitely true and necessary, but if you and the people in your company are the only ones to have seen this messaging their view might be jaded. Have someone from the outside of your company walk by your booth/messaging and have them give you their first impression.

How do you know if your sales team is ready for the masses? Although I am sure your sales staff is just as great as ours, double check that your staff knows what your goals are as a business owner, and that they are not slacking off and looking unprofessional at the event. Make sure you do a run through with them, so they know how to deal with all possible situations.

 In conclusion, just have fun and treat the whole experience as a great way to network, market yourself, and bring in more business.

Although we have blogged about wellness programs before, over the last few weeks I have seen numerous articles and statistics about these programs in the workplace. It seems to be a new trend that HR professionals should start to take note of, or should they? I would like to present both sides of this emerging trend.

SHRM (Society for Human Resources Management) has published multiple articles on this topic. In their latest article, according to Helen Darling, the president of The National Business Group on Health “Chronic illnesses account for 75 percent of health care spending, according to the NGBH, and employers are putting a much higher priority on wellness and lifestyle improvement programs than ever before.” In other words, the more health tips and simple practices that an employer can implement the lower health costs the company will have to pay in the end. It is a lot less selfish than it sounds. It truly could be a win-win for both employer and employee. Since 2006, health coaching and advice have gone up dramatically. From 2007 to 2008 the amount of employers implementing wellness programs has increased threefold. Also according to the article, “Initiatives as simple as providing healthy alternatives in workplace vending machines and promoting walks around an organization’s facility can be effective in their own way for changing lifestyle habits” says Dr. Don Bradley from North Carolina.

On the other hand, some say that these programs are so hard to measure with numbers that there is no direct correlation between employees being healthier because of them, and health costs for employers going down. How can a company say that just by changing the food in the vending machines or offering exercise classes that they have prevented someone from getting sick? That person might have become sick anyway. If a company is putting a considerable amount of money into this program, some employers might feel it is not worth their investment in the long run, due to the fact that there are no measurable statistics supporting it.

After all is said and done, your HR department just has to decide if a wellness program is something your company could benefit from.  I would put the cost portion aside and think about the affects it could have on morale and productivity, which could make you more money.

As we all know by now, gas prices are on the rise. As they are not declining any time soon, many companies are converting to the “4 day work week.” Whether companies decide to allow their employees to telecommute once a week, or fit their employees 40 hour work week into 4 days (10 hours a day), many business owners are trying to help their employees during this time. ABC News released a news report explaining that Birmingham , Alabama is one of the first cities adapting to this trend. Four thousand employees in the area are taking advantage of this four day work week. Other services businesses are offering include money for public transport, providing carpool arrangements, and the option of telecommuting. ABC News did a calculation as follows:

Average commute: 30 miles round trip

Average car gets: 17 miles/gallon

Average gallon of gas: 4.10

Result: 7.24 a day, 377.52 a year  

This shows the estimated amount that people could save. Imagine if a whole town, state, or even the whole country did this. A lot of money could be saved, not to mention we would cut down on the amount of gas demanded and the amount of pollution we output everyday. Everyone would be better off. Utah is one of the first states converting all of their state officials to this system next month, and Arizona has been talking about doing the same for their state employees.

Time magazine recently reported about the four day work week, explaining that Brevard College in Florida went to a four day week for summer session and saved $268,000. In addition, sick leave dropped by 50%, and turnover among the staff decreased by 44%. Here at Creative Business Resources, an HR outsourcing firm we deal with lots of different clients and business owners on a daily basis. We have had to alter our processes such as dates of payroll because one of our own personal clients here in Arizona has converted to the four day work week in direct response to higher gas prices. If you are a business owner and you want to boost the morale of your employees you could implement this new trend. In addition, stay tuned for our newsletters in July and August that gives more tips on how businesses can survive and prosper in this economic downturn.

 

As an HR company, we discuss and inform about issues of immigration and laws pertaining to it on a regular basis, but we must remember that immigration has never been uniquely American. As a global traveler, I have witnessed first hand the extreme effects that immigration has on European residents.  When I was living in Spain , a woman was beaten on the metro for even being a legal immigrant for not appearing Spanish enough. Nationalism among residents intensified as riots and protests swarmed all over my neighborhood, and the law makers struggled with the details of the attack.

 

An article was just released last week by the Associated Press about the immigration issues occurring all over Europe . Last Wednesday, legislators in the EU parliament passed new laws to toughen up on expelling illegals from Europe . The article goes into explaining that because of a slowing global economy, the richer countries in the EU are facing pressures globally to become stricter on immigration which includes increasing detention periods for illegals. The majority of these immigrants are coming from parts of Africa and former Soviet countries. It has been estimated that in 2006 twenty four thousand sub-Saharan Africans tried to reach Spain , many of them dying a long the way.  In the US there are currently 11 million illegals as opposed to Europe which has about 8 million in their 27 nations. Countries such as Italy , France , and Spain are all open to raising their laws to try and cope with the problem including increased detention times and denial of future re-entry. It is important to know that other nations are dealing with this issue and I don’t believe that there are any easy answers for either nation’s destiny. Staying educated is just one sure way that we can become part of this movement.

 

Please visit our site for up to date information on immigration in the United States at http://www.azimmigrationcompliance.com/, and to read further on this article please visit http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_IMMIGRATION?SITE=MOSTP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT