On Thursday, August 25, the International Institute's HIRE-St. Louis Program hosted an advocacy training at the Richmond Heights Community Center on the rights of immigrant and refugee employees. The presentations focused on education about discrimination foreign-born employees may experience. Attendees received informational materials, learned about Citizenship Status and National Origin discrimination, as well as Retaliation and Intimidation.
Dawn Berkbigler, Project Coordinator of HIRE-St. Louis, discussed examples of these types of discrimination in the workplace and offered information with questions from the audience, like how to prove someone has been discriminated against based on their perceptions of the worker. Furthermore, participants learned how to file a complaint with the Department of Justice's Office of Special Counsel on behalf of an immigrant worker.
Did you know that an employer cannot inquire about citizenship status during an interview? Or that an employer cannot fire, demote or otherwise retaliate against an employee if they file a claim with the OSC? If any of this information is new, if you are an immigrant advocate, or if you think you could benefit from being more informed about employment discrimination, please contact Dawn Berkbigler at 314-773-9090 ext 166 or berkbiglerd@iistl.org.
HIRE-St. Louis is the International Institute's outreach initiative about the rights and responsibilities of workers and employers with regards to the anti-discrimination provision of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). Goals of the outreach efforts are to educate employers about their responsibilities, to inform work-authorized foreign-born employees about their rights, to assist immigrant advocates in helping someone file a complaint, and to enlighten the general public about discrimination so it can be identified and prevented.
Annually, the International Institute of St. Louis helps thousands of immigrants become more integrated into America. We teach English, resettle refugees, help newcomers find jobs, and provide orientation, translation and other supportive services. We also produce the popular Festival of Nations, annually drawing a crowd of 140,000+ to honor and celebrate our community's growing cultural diversity. Immersion, investment and inclusion are our three pillars of service. They offer a solid structure to build positive relationships between newcomers and long-time Americans. |
