The Yellowstone Landscape Blog | Yellowstone Landscape

How The H-2B Program Impacts The Landscaping Industry (And Yellowstone)

Written by Joseph Barnes | Dec 21, 2021 2:08:59 PM

Over the years we have heard various misconceptions about the H-2B program and wanted to take some time to explain what it is and how it helps the landscaping industry—as well as Yellowstone Landscape, specifically.

It’s no surprise that our industry, like many others, is dealing with labor shortages. But Yellowstone hasn’t sat by passively while this happens. Instead, we’ve looked for ways that we can be proactive in solving the problem. And the H-2B program has been one important part of that strategy.

What is the H-2B program?

For those who aren’t familiar, the H-2B program is a government program that allows employers to temporarily hire nonimmigrant workers to perform labor in the United States. Jobs must be temporary in nature for a limited period of time.

As you can imagine, this is the perfect fit for the Green Industry, which is often in need of seasonal workers.

Yellowstone Landscape has utilized the program for more than 30 years in some of our markets and has found many hardworking, dependable temporary workers through it—some of whom have returned for more than twenty years each growing season.

More recently in the last 6 years, we have been increasingly involved on the front lines to ensure this program remains a viable option for all employers. More specifically, our CEO and other senior leaders have been actively involved in the National Association of Landscape Professionals (NALP) H-2B efforts by leading the NALP’s H-2B Advisory Committee.

We also sit on the Seasonal Employment Alliance (SEA) Board of Directors, which represents multiple industries that utilize the H-2B program.

In our various forms of involvement over the years, we have found that certain misconceptions sometimes lead the way for those opposed to the program and we want to take some time to share our first-hand experiences. We’ve had the opportunity to be on the front lines in fighting to keep the H-2B program active so we have a really strong understanding of what it brings to our industry and others that use it.

Here are a few things that you should know.

H-2B is Not a Citizenship Program

Regardless of what your feelings are on the path to citizenship, it’s important to understand that H-2B is not a citizenship program but rather a temporary work visa program. There must be a demonstrated need for seasonal or temporary work in order for the company to qualify for H-2B worker visas.

H-2B Does Not Take Away American Jobs

Probably one of the biggest misconceptions that we hear in regard to H-2B is that it takes away jobs from American workers. But this isn’t the case at all. In fact, it actually ends up being beneficial to our current employees when we bring in H-2B workers.

Because the government mandates that we must pay the H-2B workers at a certain rate, which is typically higher than the industry’s average starting rate, we raise wages across the board. This means raises for everyone.

On top of that, it’s important to point out that the landscape industry has had an incredibly difficult time finding labor right now in the midst of a serious labor shortage. So, this program has been a good way to supplement our full-time American workforce.

H-2B Brings in Hardworking, Dedicated People

We also want to point out that our experience with this program has been incredibly positive, particularly in terms of the temporary workers that we’ve brought in.

These are hardworking people who come to the United States for a temporary period of time because they really want to be able to support their family back at home. They typically come for a period of nine months and in that time are usually able to earn enough money to support not only their immediate family but often their extended family, too, for the rest of the year.

We also want people to know that workers through the H-2B program are well-vetted both by their own country as well as by the Department of Homeland Security.

They are not here to get into trouble. They’re here because they’re truly committed to finding a good-paying job so they can take care of loved ones back home. While they are here, they pay taxes, and when their time is done, they return to their home country and their families.

H-2B Ends up Being Good for Everyone

As far as win/win scenarios go, we’ve found that the H-2B program is as close as it gets to being good for everyone.

It’s good for our company because it helps us to fill gaps or to have a more robust team during the busy season with supplemental workers. This has always been true, but it’s been made even more apparent by the current labor shortage that our industry and others are experiencing.

It’s good for our existing team because it often means pay raises and also means that they aren’t over-burdened by the company being short-staffed.

It’s good for the H-2B workers because they are able to find good-paying jobs from which they can support their families back at home.

And it’s good for our industry as a whole since ongoing labor shortages are a major problem. While it’s particularly a problem right now, it’s not exactly new. As an industry, we have always struggled with finding laborers to help support our companies. Unfortunately, it’s not a problem that we see going away and H-2B is one of the multiple solutions that are helping to mitigate it.

Remaining Part of the Solution

Hopefully, this article has given you a better sense of what the H-2B program is all about.

We know that people have often heard of it but that it’s not uncommon for them to have heard some of the negative misconceptions or myths that sometimes come along with it. But as a company that has been utilizing this program for a long time and that remains on the front line of helping support it, we wanted to share our first hand experiences and how overwhelmingly positive it has been. We have had the pleasure of working with some wonderful H-2B workers over the years who have done an excellent job for us. Because of that, we passionately advocate to see the program receive more support.

Ultimately, all of this means that we want to be part of the solution.

The labor shortage has been difficult for everyone and though we’ve fared better than many thanks to a strong focus on promoting from within, we have not been entirely immune to it.

Over the years, the H-2B program has truly been a significant help for us (as well as so many other landscaping companies) and we’ve wanted to do our part to support it how we can.

That’s why we’ve gotten incredibly involved in being a voice for this program on a national level and in organizations outside of our own. We want to share how it has helped our company and our industry in many positive ways.

At Yellowstone Landscape, we care deeply about ensuring that we are able to continue to offer the best to our clients and our team—and we believe the H-2B program plays an important role in that. By no means is this program the sole solution to the labor shortage. We have continued to implement a multi-faceted effort that includes a focus on things like promoting from within, strong education and training, and higher pay. But, we do believe H-2B is incredibly valuable and we want to do what we can to ensure it’s here to stay.

Are you looking for commercial property landscaping from a company that is committed to offering the best? Request a consultation today. We’ll meet to learn more about your property and its challenges and come up with a comprehensive plan to take care of all of the details for you.