The Scottsdale Area Chamber of Commerce is holding an informational breakfast with speeches by legal and employment specialists to help members of the business community understand the impact of the Fair and Legal Employment Act, which takes effect statewide Jan. 1, said Tom Dorn of the Dorn Policy Group, the forum’s moderator.
“(The experts) can explain so the business community can get a good idea of what the bill is and how it will be implemented,” Dorn said.
The new law requires the state Attorney General’s Office, or county attorneys, to investigate complaints that employers have knowingly hired illegal immigrants.
A first offense can mean a suspended business license for employers and the termination of employment for any illegal immigrants.
A second offense could mean the permanent revocation of the business’s licenses.
Rick Kidder, Scottsdale chamber president, said Arizona’s law is one of the toughest employment laws in the country, but some details of it remain vague.
For instance, Kidder said, if a single franchise business is found to have knowingly hired illegal immigrants, whose license is affected: the franchise owner’s or the corporation’s?
“There’s a whole lot of issues that surround this that are fuzzy,” Kidder said.
The Scottsdale chamber hasn’t taken a position on the law but recently joined the East Valley Chambers of Commerce Alliance, which supports the measure, he said.
Featured panelists at the event include Donald L. Hutchinson Jr., president of First National Employer Services; Susan Williams, president and founder of HR Choice; and Gregg J. Tucek, a lawyer with the Sherman & Howard Law Firm.
The Scottsdale Tribune is one of the event’s sponsors.
Immigration law breakfast
When: 7:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. Friday
Location: First National Bank
17600 N. Perimeter Drive
Cost: $15 for Chamber members, $25 for guests, by Tuesday. Register at www.scottsdalechamber.com
