Little progress has been made on an issue clearly important to the roofing industry — immigration. Roofing workers are scarce, and without a reliable source of workers, many contractors are faced with the risks of hiring undocumented workers.

The Immigration Reform and Control Act requires employers to verify employees’ identity and employment eligibility; the Employment Eligibility Verification Form I-9 is the primary means of documenting this verification. Employers who fail to properly complete I-9 forms are subject to civil fines ranging from $110 to $1,100 per paperwork error violation. The monetary penalties for knowingly hiring and continuing to employ unauthorized workers ranges from $375 to $16,000 per violation.