ME &NEWS MY MENTOR UAC
Lessons in H2B
Learning as you go and surviving the process by Laura Guilmette, Unique Environmental Landscapes
My company is thinking about using H2B to bring in seasonal employees. How would you describe your first-time experience with H2B so far?
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UAC MAGAZINE | SPRING 2019
Most anyone in the landscape industry would without a doubt agree labor presents the greatest challenge within operations. And there is a good chance most everyone in landscaping is somewhat familiar with the H2B program. Perhaps many, like me, started inquiring and discussing the program with peers a few years ago. And maybe, like me, they opted to RUN, and run fast away from the challenges the program represents! Instead they endured a couple more seasons of dealing with employees who didn’t show up to work for one, two or more days without any notification, or they completely processed a new employee only to never see them again.
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I had multiple conversations with two of the three agencies in the U.S. that process H2B workers for the landscape industry and asked countless questions. At that point, I felt we had a good grasp of what to expect, the associated costs, and the risks. After completing the initial application, submitting all the necessary documents (and then some) and cutting the check, the next big step was electronically submitting our information to the Department of Labor at the exact specified time: December
31 at midnight - EXACTLY how we planned to ring in the New Year! We were told every second counted so we should submit when the clock struck 12:00 and not a second later. However, thousands of applicants did the same which created an overload on the computer system, causing it to shut down and lock everyone. That in turn created panic, PANIC at our home office and I’m sure across the country! What had been a delicious New Year’s dinner earlier was now major indigestion. The next big hurdle was actually getting the visas, as there were three times as many applications as there were visas to be issued. We got lucky, about three weeks later we found out we made it! As I mentioned, I thought we had a very good idea of what to expect during this process but I had a lot to learn and as I write this in early March, I’m still learning something new every day. My rep at the agency, located in Texas, had been walking me through each step, however at this point I had no idea how much I didn’t know. It would be impossible for anyone to convey every single step of the process from start to finish - it’s one of those things you just have to learn (and stomach) as you go.
Laura Guilmette graduated from the University of Louisville with a B.A. in communications. She worked in advertising until she was recruited to work with the family-owned landscape business, Unique Environmental about 17 years ago. Like most business owners, she wears many hats including HR, marketing, sales, administrative and field work. Even though the H2B program has presented numerous challenges, she has enjoyed learning about it as well as overcoming these challenges. She is really looking forward to seeing how it unfolds over the upcoming season.
