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Immigrant workers, however, have just as many rights as the native-born do when it comes to
Immigration Reform And Control Act of 1986
According to the Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA) of 1986, immigrant workers have the right to be hired, fired, recruited, or referred for a job without the potential employer basing their decision on their citizenship status.
This rule is enforced by the Department of Justice's Office of Special Counsel for Immigration-Related Unfair Employment Practices, Civil Rights Division, and they have a few clauses to make sure employers comply.
Employers must accept lawful documents that prove an applicant's legal ability to work in this country, and they can't demand additional documentation based on the employee's citizenship status or nation of origin when the employee is filling out Form W-9. The immigrant worker has the right to pick which of the acceptable documents that he or she uses for the W-9.
Title VII Of The Civil Rights Act
Aspects of a person's ethnicity count in this area. For instance, an accent cannot be held against a worker when being considered for jobs or promotions unless the accent would seriously interfere with the work. An employer can't refuse to hire someone because of an ethnic appearance, either.
An immigrant worker also has the right to work for a company whose policies affect everyone equally. For instance, while an employer can hire only people fluent in English, he or she can't demand that people speak only English in the workplace unless there is legitimate work need.
The employer can't apply dress codes that restrict one group more than another, either. For instance, disallowing beards for no business-related reason when certain sects of Jews and Muslims grow beards for religious reasons isn't allowed. Imposing dress restrictions only on one group, say disallowing saris or yarmulkes but letting everyone else wear what they want, would be discrimination, too.
These protections even extend to people who married an immigrant or are in some way associated with an immigrant group. For instance, if a person attends a church or school used by people of a certain nationality, it can't be used against them when the boss is making job-related decisions.
Harassment
The Civil Rights Act includes the right for an immigrant worker to be free from harassment while on the job. No one, for instance, should be making frequent derogatory remarks about a person's place of birth, accent, or ethnicity. Another example of harassment is posting racist cartoons in common areas. If the harassment is severe or leads to the immigrant worker getting fired or demoted, it's illegal.
Enforcement
The EEOC and the IER will investigate charges, and an immigrant worker can sue a company for violating their rights. The government can require the company to rewrite their policies, and the victim can get reimbursed for losses.
However, you have to bring a charge to the EEOC within 180 days
Seek Legal Advice
Also, any lawsuit can be tricky. Getting
