Partnerships

The strategic Compliance Alliance

The Strategic Compliance Alliance: Your Legal Safety Net for H-2A Operations

Running a farm is already complex—navigating the H-2A program shouldn’t make it harder. That’s why USA Farm Labor (USAFL) created a Strategic Compliance Alliance, giving our clients end-to-end protection against the legal, regulatory, and operational risks tied to H-2A employment.

In today’s regulatory climate, compliance is no longer optional or a “checklist item”—it’s a critical part of your farm’s operational survival. Our alliance gives you access to the only vertically integrated, defense-ready compliance infrastructure designed exclusively for H-2A employers.

Why This Partnership Exists

The H-2A program has evolved from a labor source into a highly scrutinized compliance framework. Employers today face:

  • Intense DOL Oversight: Wage determinations, Form 943 requirements, and rising audit rates create daily risk.

  • Increased Liabilities: Noncompliance with the ¾ Hours Guarantee, MSPA, FLSA, and more can cost you dearly.

  • Litigation Risk: Even well-meaning employers are vulnerable to lawsuits, investigations, fines, and possible debarment.

At USA Farm Labor, we knew that handling compliance reactively wasn’t good enough. That’s why we built a strategic partnership integrating legal, payroll, and operational safeguards into one unified solution – The Compliance Alliance. 

Meet the USA Farm Labor Strategic Compliance Alliance

We’ve united top H-2A compliance experts and service providers to deliver a seamless, end-to-end system—designed to keep your farm audit-ready, your records defensible, and your team prepared for anything the Department of Labor throws your way.

Our Strategic Compliance Partners:

  • H2A Visa Solutions (Jeff Ballew):  We coordinate every moving part—connecting systems, streamlining onboarding and timekeeping, and digitizing the entire H-2A journey. As the central hub, we ensure each partner has real-time access to the data they need, when they need it.

  • WLW2 Consulting (Warren Williams): Internal compliance assessments led by a former DOL Wage and Hour Division investigator—verifying that your records, pay practices, and housing conditions meet WHD standards before an audit ever happens.

  • Hall Global (Attorney Wendel Hall): H-2A legal strategy, audit defense, and proactive risk management—delivered by one of the industry’s most trusted attorneys, with decades of experience guiding employers through complex DOL investigations.

  • Roost Bookkeeping: Full-service bookkeeping and H-2A payroll management—turning daily time reports into fully compliant, defensible paychecks. Just report the hours, and it’s done.

  • isolved: A robust, cloud-based platform that centralizes payroll, HR, and tax compliance—cost-effective, audit-ready, and built for the demands of H-2A.

Together, these partners help USA Farm Labor clients reduce penalties, improve readiness, and stay operational with peace of mind.

✅ Comprehensive Payroll & Tax Review

Before onboarding any employer, we conduct a full historical payroll audit, including IRS Form 943 filings. This ensures:

  • Wages and hours align with AEWR/OEWS standards.

  • All reimbursements, bonuses, and deductions are properly documented.

  • Historical records won’t expose you to unexpected audit risks.

This proactive step allows you to correct issues before the DOL comes knocking. The last thing you need is to be caught off-guard or unprepared in the event of an audit.

🚨 WHD Compliance Risk Assessment

Every client undergoes a 1.5-hour virtual session with WLW2 Consulting, led by a former DOL H-2A investigator with more than two decades of field experience. 

This assessment includes:

  • A digital intake to spot documentation and workflow gaps.

  • A tailored risk exposure analysis with corrective action recommendations.

  • Compliance checklists for daily, weekly, and monthly requirements.

  • A readiness scorecard to determine audit vulnerability.

You’ll gain a clear snapshot of your compliance standing—and a custom roadmap to fix any weaknesses. Understanding where you stand with compliance is priceless as you navigate the H-2A program.

⛑️ Legal Review & Ongoing Support

Attorney Wendel Hall and his team at Hall Global provide personalized legal oversight, including:

  • Review of disciplinary procedures and termination policies.

  • Analysis of ¾ Guarantee compliance and wage classifications.

  • Evaluation of historical audit findings and pending investigations.

  • Pre-litigation strategies and formal audit response preparation.

Legal guidance is ongoing—not just “when needed”—with direct connections to your compliance dashboard for instant access to critical documents.

⌛ Timekeeping & Hours Tracking

Timekeeping is essential in H-2A compliance. We offer support across a range of systems, including:

  • Simple Digital Tracking – Ideal for small farms (under five workers), using user-friendly tools like Smartsheet or Excel. As easy as taking a picture of a paper timecard—then letting us handle the rest. Fully compliant and WHD-aligned.

  • Crew-Based Time & Labor Platforms – Best suited for midsize operations needing:

    • Digital clock-ins and break tracking.

    • Geofencing to match ETA-790 worksite locations.

    • Real-time “hours offered” reporting to meet H-2A guarantees.

  • Enterprise Timekeeping Solutions – Designed for complex or multi-entity operations, offering:

    • Grower and FLC access.

    • Piece-rate and hourly support.

    • Compliance with H-2A, H-2B, and domestic labor laws.

We work with your existing system—or help you adopt one that fits. Our priority is ensuring your records are audit-ready, accurate, and defensible. 

💰 H-2A Compliant Payroll Deployment

Through Roost Bookkeeping and H2A Visa Solutions, powered by Isolved, clients can fully outsource payroll, gaining:

  • Just send your hours — we handle the rest.

  • Built-in guardrails — we’re farmers too, and we know H-2A compliance.

  • DOL-compliant paystubs.

  • Full-service tax filing (Federal, State, and Local).

  • Seamless wage disbursement via direct deposit, paycards, or on-demand pay.

All records are securely stored and accessible via integrated dashboards, giving you peace of mind that your operation and H-2A attorney have instant access to important documents at a moment’s notice.

Tailored Compliance Solutions for Every Farm

Whether you have 3 workers or 300, our Compliance Alliance can scale with your operation:

  • For Small Employers (Less than 5 Workers)

    • Simple payroll and onboarding via H2A Visa Solutions.

    • Smartsheet timekeeping.

    • Fully managed payroll plus legal/compliance access.

  • For Mid to Large Employers (5-500+ Workers)

    • Full Isolved H-2A People Cloud integration.

    • Scalable HR, time tracking, and onboarding.

    • Automated AEWR compliance, tax handling, and audit reporting.

    • Real-time integrations with top agricultural timekeeping and onboarding systems

Both options ensure:

    • DOL-compliant recordkeeping.

    • Consistent audit readiness.

    • Streamlined documentation and onboarding.

    • Legal protection backed by pre-built defense tools.

Our partners offer solutions to fit your business, regardless of the size of your operation.

Exclusivity for USA Farm Labor Clients

Our Compliance Alliance infrastructure is custom-built for USA Farm Labor clients only:

  • Smartsheet dashboards are connected directly to payroll and compliance data.

  • Immediate legal access to Attorney Wendel Hall during audits or litigation.

  • Integrated communications—no need for third-party vendors.

  • Seamless onboarding with USA Farm Labor, H2 Organizer, and Isolved—no duplicate data entry.

Other H-2A agencies don’t have access to this alliance. This is an exclusive compliance ecosystem, available only to USA Farm Labor clients. 

What’s At Stake Without This Protection?

DOL enforcement isn’t slowing down, and even the most well-intentioned

In 2024 alone:

  • 323 investigations uncovered violations.

  • $4.9 million in back wages were ordered.

  • $5.8 million in civil penalties were issued.

  • Average penalties exceeded $17,000 per case.

And for 2025:

  • Maximum H-2A penalty per violation: $2,166

  • Maximum MSPA penalty per violation: $3,126

The most common violations include:

  • Misreporting hours offered vs. hours worked.

  • Non-compliant pay stubs.

  • Missing or inadequate housing and vehicle logs.

  • Improper terminations.

  • Incomplete wage reimbursement documentation.

Our partnership directly addresses and eliminates these vulnerabilities so you can focus on growing your business instead of managing mundane, day-to-day compliance tasks.

More Than a Service—Your Compliance Safety Net

USA Farm Labor’s Strategic Compliance Alliance is more than just a service—it’s a complete legal and operational safety net designed to:

  • Keep your operation audit-ready at all times.

  • Provide real-time risk assessments.

  • Offer integrated payroll, onboarding, and time tracking.

  • Deliver personalized legal defense.

The Compliance Alliance is not a patchwork of vendors—it’s a coordinated compliance engine built to protect your farm from fines, debarment, and lawsuits.