Employment Discrimination in the US

[hheaven67 2]

Hi everyone! Yes, still job hunting...I've been work authorized since September and have applied for around 200 jobs and to no avail! I know times are tough and the economy here sucks...unemployment rate is thru the roof. Just wondering if anyone has experienced discrimination "due to national origin"?? I was on the fast track to getting a job (the gal doing the hiring-her and I really clicked and out of 150 applicants after 1 day of advertising on Craigslist, she asked me to come in & fill out an app) and I have proof of the progression thru emails until the Manager questioned my immigration status, if I had a Green Card, working visa, etc. He was supposed to call me to set up a time for testing and I never heard from him. I've emailed her since but it does sound fishy...

Let me know what you guys think....

jen

[Flames9_RN 358]

I can honestly see why people would not hire immigrants, as they have no clue about the process, and no clue if the person can legally work? Why go through that hassle ,when more than likely you can find a capable USA citizen, thus no worry about his/her being able to legally work!! With so many people out of work, they have a pretty big selection pool in most cases. Can be frustrating. Best of luck

[Sylvia_n_Joseph 3]

My ex, who was from Argentina, started work at a book store that sold software, made contact with a place that sold computers and needed someone to fix them, to working as a programmer. Kind of the step up into what he was trained to do approach.

[Reba 2]

It is not supposed to happen, but unfortunately it does. Sometimes inadvertently, because the employer may not be sure of your legal authorization to work because they're not familiar enough with the laws, and sometimes it will be blatant discrimination. Sometimes they'll just toss aside any resumes or applications from people whose work experience is not in the US. This is illegal, and if you think you've been turned down for a job because of your immigrant status, you could report them. But good luck in proving it. All they will say is that they found someone more qualified for the position, and it had nothing to do with your status. Unless someone actually is stupid enough to say to you with witnesses, that they won't hire you because you're not American.

But yeah, in this economy right now, even born citizens are having a helluva time finding jobs. I know folks here in NC who've been out of work for 2 years or more, my husband included. All the factories are shutting down and heading to China. There's just nothing left here. I'm lucky for now that the plant I work at is still operating. We're even taking applications, but we're not hiring. I honestly don't know why they just don't stop taking apps, its so freakin depressing. These people call and come in 2 or 3 times a week "to check up", and we're still not hiring. We're not likely to do any either, we're barely keeping the people we already have busy. I have to sit there all day long, every day at reception and tell these people we have no jobs for them. And even though we keep telling the employment office that we're not hiring and to stop sending people over, they keep sending them. It's incredibly frustrating. I'm the only one they ever get to talk to, and I'm seriously afraid one day I'm going to get hurt! One guy came in and looked like he was about to jump thru the window and throttle me! I'm fairly certain if there hadn't been anyone else there in the lobby with him at the time, he may well have done it!

[Jasman0717 9]

This is way out of my league I couldn't even begin to think what an employer does in hiring people. HR where I work is a mystery

[Marilyn. 340]

I didn't experience it too much just a couple people didn't like the fact that all my references were from Canada..

one guy jokily said that I could have made the references up..

I was thinking, if I am going to go through the trouble of making them up why wouldn't I have done it locally...

[BH45 0]

I had set my resume up on Careerbuilder prior to moving here.

Now that I have my EAD, I've since updated my resume to reflect my residence in Palatine. I've applied on a few jobs from the site, but have also received 2 calls from employers looking at my resume. The one place was looking for a "sales" type person and I know that I'm not cut out for that type of job. The other place was an Accountemp agency. I've replied to them and am just waiting for a call back to set up an interview.

My references are mainly Canadian but I do have a few people that I've met that are willing to give me character references. Who knows - time will tell.

[SAT 9,609]

Hi everyone! Yes, still job hunting...I've been work authorized since September and have applied for around 200 jobs and to no avail! I know times are tough and the economy here sucks...unemployment rate is thru the roof. Just wondering if anyone has experienced discrimination "due to national origin"?? I was on the fast track to getting a job (the gal doing the hiring-her and I really clicked and out of 150 applicants after 1 day of advertising on Craigslist, she asked me to come in & fill out an app) and I have proof of the progression thru emails until the Manager questioned my immigration status, if I had a Green Card, working visa, etc. He was supposed to call me to set up a time for testing and I never heard from him. I've emailed her since but it does sound fishy...

Let me know what you guys think....

jen

If you feel you have been discriminated against because of your immigration status, the people that will help you is OEEO. The Office of Equal Employment Opportunity. Look them up and give them a call, and they will look into it for you.

[Sprailenes 47]

I have yet to have an issue, though i am sure it exists. Even people who are citizens of the US get discriminated against so it doesn't surprise me.

[Ban Hammer 13,573]

This is way out of my league I couldn't even begin to think what an employer does in hiring people. HR where I work is a mystery

same here. our hr person is a little old lady who mostly watches soap operas in her office, what else she does is a mystery.

[Mephys 2]

This is way out of my league I couldn't even begin to think what an employer does in hiring people. HR where I work is a mystery

same here. our hr person is a little old lady who mostly watches soap operas in her office, what else she does is a mystery.

Hey wait , do you work with my husband, because she sounds a lot like his HR lady

More seriously, I did send out a lot of applications when I got my EAD and after 4 months I changed the type of work I was looking for for something less related to my experience and that's how I got my job...My current employer doesn't care much about the immigration stuff, since I prooved that I am legal to work. But it didn't keep them from interviewing me and all.

Your situation does sound a quite bit fishy so I would definitely look into that. Or mention to them that you are legally able to work and have the supporting documentation. Your status shouldn't matter.

[Krikit 1,165]

I didn't experience it too much just a couple people didn't like the fact that all my references were from Canada..

one guy jokily said that I could have made the references up..

I was thinking, if I am going to go through the trouble of making them up why wouldn't I have done it locally...

[Udella&Wiz 325]

I don't know - I work in IT and living in the DC area - maybe I'm lucky, but the IT industry commonly hires folks through work VISAs from many other countries so it's not a foreign concept *(haha - bad pun i know).

Resume wise - i didn't make a big deal that I was from somewhere else - I was honest and so of course the location of my last company was in Canada. My references were available upon request, they did eventually take them, but never called anyone - and that is a standard practice - once they've interviewed you, they can tell whether you have the necessary skill or not. I'm sure this varies by industry.

For orientation, they sent a package prior to the day which had a list of acceptable documents proving your ability to work legally - no one batted an eyelash when I pulled out my GC.

I do feel that I lucked out though - I had only applied to about 10-15 jobs specifically and then of course I posted on Workopolis and CareerBuilder etc.... Thos sites seem so lame, most prospective employers do some kind of random search and don't specifically review each resume of people they send the emails to - I had offer for jobs in Arizona and California - obviously not happening when I live in Virginia!

You could complain about being discriminated against, but where would it get you? Not saying you shouldn't, but you need proof that something occurred first

[thetreble 19]

I have never felt this. I figured that some employers didn't want to hire me because of my status, but there were many willing to do so. I also think being Canadian wasn't looked at as foreign as someone who might have English as a second language or qualifications that didn't transfer over here in the US.

But I was hired in 2 weeks after I got my green card at an awful company where I worked for 8 months because I needed the money. Then I got hired by the state which looked much more into my immigration status and I had to go through a series of interviews and paperwork.

[Mephys 2]

I also think being Canadian wasn't looked at as foreign as someone who might have English as a second language

Hey watch that, I am Canadian but English IS my second language