Summertime brings a wave of paid time off as employees use their vacation days to visit their families and friends or far-flung destinations. For millions of immigrant workers, however, this season brings a very different experience.
Rather than enjoying a summer filled with rest and reconnection, immigrant workers are facing emotional strain and legal uncertainties. Restrictive immigration policies, new travel bans and visa backlogs have made it difficult – or in some cases, impossible – for non-citizen workers to leave the country and return without jeopardizing their jobs or U.S. residency.
Immigration may seem like a targeted issue that only affects foreign national employees, but its influence extends across the workforce, affecting everything from recruitment to workplace culture and team cohesion. According to Brightmine research, nearly half (49%) of U.S. workers say recent workplace policy changes are affecting their daily work.
During this time of great uncertainty, employees are watching how their organizations respond to immigration policy changes and what actions are being taken to protect employee well-being, boost morale and mitigate compliance and legal risks. HR leaders are in a unique position to guide and support immigrant workers through these shifts, and in doing so, strengthen their entire workforce.
Here are three steps HR leaders can take this summer, and all year round, to lead through immigration-related policy shifts by taking meaningful, empathetic action.
1. Build a foundation of compliance and risk management for compassionate support.
Behind every compassionate HR policy is a foundation of compliance and risk management. When immigration-related policy shifts arise, an organization’s ability to respond clearly, and quickly confidently depends on its compliance readiness.
Reaching a strong level of compliance preparedness calls for organizations to regularly audit Forms I-9 and maintain up-to-date employee tracking for visa sponsorships. HR teams should also have well-documented policies addressing matters such as extended leave for immigration-related reasons and procedures for possible U.S. Immigration and Customers Enforcement (ICE) visits. By taking these steps, HR isn’t just shielding their organization from legal risks, enforcement penalties and operational disruptions. They are also laying the foundation for HR to be seen as a trusted and responsive ally for employees.
Beyond ensuring organizational compliance, HR leaders should act as advisors to non-citizen employees, educating them on the risks of traveling abroad during this time. This involves providing employees guidance on evolving regulatory changes and the nuances of the legal landscape to help them make informed decisions about traveling abroad this summer. Additionally, HR should ensure that non-citizen employees who do choose to travel abroad have the appropriate immigration documentation that they will need to support reentry back into the U.S., such as I-797 Approval Notices, their most recent I-94 record or an employment verification letter.
By offering clear direction on legal matters and helping employees navigate immigration policy shifts with confidence, HR can deliver compassionate, informed support when it’s needed most and simultaneously ensure business continuity.
2. Lead with proactive, transparent communication.
Beyond serving as a compliance and risk advisor, HR should ensure the lines of communication around immigration policy shifts are always open, and they aren’t just being reactive in moments of crisis. Employees dealing with immigration challenges often don’t know where to turn within their organizations for support. Moreover, Brightmine research found that just 26% of employees feel confident their employer will handle immigration-related events transparently and proactively.
To effectively lead with proactive and transparent communication, HR should establish clear points of contact for immigration-related policy needs and create a safe environment where employees feel encouraged to share their concerns and questions – confidentially, if needed.
HR should ensure leaders and managers across their organizations are trained to navigate conversations around policy shifts and respond to employees’ questions with clarity and confidence. If an employee was to ask a question like, “What should we be prepared for if a worksite immigration raid takes place,” a manager’s response shouldn’t be riddled with uncertainty. Unfortunately, in many cases, managers are not adequately prepared to handle these discussions. Research shows that one-third of employees feel unsafe having difficult conversations with their managers.
To address this issue, HR leaders should ensure knowledge about policy shifts is communicated from the top down and that education reaches both leaders and employees. Additionally, providing resource hubs with up-to-date information and tools can further support managers and employees alike.
3. Revaluate employee benefits to reinforce a culture of care.
Immigration-related stress is deeply personal. Therefore, HR leaders should consider introducing initiatives that build psychological safety and reinforce a culture of care during this high-stress period. According to APA research, 92% of workers said it is very or somewhat important to them to work for an organization that values their emotional and psychological well-being.
To support workers in this way, HR should consider expanding mental health and wellness benefits, including by providing mental health leave days for immigrant workers and their broader workforce or by offering third-party counselors for affected employees that need support and guidance.
Another way to reinforce a culture of care is through peer support systems that help to foster connection and belonging. HR can coordinate employee resource groups focused on immigrant or international experiences or organize panel sessions where impacted employees can share their lived experiences of navigating complicated visa processes and immigration setbacks.
Further, HR should take the time to reevaluate their organization’s leave and remote work policies. For immigrant workers who will travel this summer to visit their loved ones abroad, it’s important for HR to acknowledge that international travel often comes with longer timelines and unpredictable delays, particularly in the current political environment. HR leaders should consider offering leave extensions or providing more flexible work accommodations to employees to help alleviate the stress and burdens they might face. Providing this level of support not only promotes employee well-being but also strengthens overall workforce satisfaction and resilience.
Create a Summer Where Support Outshines the Stress
Supporting immigrant workers with clear communication and procedures related to immigration-related policy changes, legal safeguards and human compassion sends a powerful message to the entire workforce: HR is here for you. HR leaders who treat the realities of immigration policy shifts with care and clarity this summer will help build organizations that are not only compliant and more adverse to risk and disruption, but are stronger, more stable and more inclusive.
Taylor Lewellyn has over eight years of experience in legal publishing. As a member of the Brightmine editorial team, she focuses on immigration, training and development, and international content. She also covers health, safety and security, including HR and workplace safety; workplace security; drugs, alcohol and smoking; employee health and worker’s compensation. Additionally, she is a member of the Trump Administration and Ask Our Experts teams. Taylor holds a Bachelor of Arts in History from the College of William and Mary and a Juris Doctor from Roger Williams University School of Law. Before joining Brightmine, she was a senior content specialist at a legal publishing company.