Illegal Immigrants Employed In California, Texas, And Florida

In California, employers are required to ask for an applicant’s social security card or social security number. This requirement stems from federal law, specifically the need to fill out and complete an I-9 form for W-2 employees. It is important to note that California law prohibits employers from discriminating or retaliating against employees in protected classes.

Additionally, employers must provide pregnancy accommodations, ensure equal pay, allow wage discussions, grant employees access to their personnel files, and protect whistleblowers. While the use of E-Verify is optional for most California employers, it is mandatory for federal contractors and subcontractors. In our case, we always used E-Verify.

Texas has a provision in its law that prohibits citizenship and national origin discrimination, but it does not apply to employers with three or fewer employees. Therefore, this discrimination provision only applies to employers with four or more employees. When hiring individuals for employment in the United States, employers are required to use Form I-9 to verify their identity and employment authorization.

This form must be filled out for every employee working for the company in the United States. The employee is required to present documents that verify their identity and authorization to work in the U.S., and the employer must sign a statement affirming the authenticity of these documents to the best of their knowledge.

In Texas, employees have the right to work in an environment free from discrimination or harassment based on their race, religion, national origin, age, disability, color, sex, or genetic information. Additionally, employees in Texas are entitled to minimum wage and overtime pay. However, it seems that there are some aspects that workers in Texas are missing out on.

Florida is the last state on our list, and it’s where I call home. So, grab a drink and take a seat. However, it’s important to note that employers in Florida must adhere to compliance requirements when utilizing E-Verify. Failure to comply can lead to fines and other civil penalties. Under the new Florida law, all private employers with 25 or more employees are required to register for E-Verify and use it for new hires starting July 1, 2023.

Now, let’s discuss the employer-friendly nature of Florida. It operates under an at-will employment system, which means that employees have the freedom to quit their jobs at any time, and employers have the right to terminate employees with or without cause. However, it’s crucial to understand that employers cannot fire employees based on factors such as age, race, sex, national origin, disability, gender, pregnancy, color, sexual orientation, or identity. These protected characteristics ensure a fair and non-discriminatory working environment.

U and L drive services do not require drivers to complete an I-9 form, as their employment is considered 1099 instead of W-2. This means that there is no immigration status check when hiring drivers. As a result, it is not surprising that none of my drivers speak English, especially considering that Florida has a higher percentage of households (29.8%) where a non-English language is spoken at home, compared to the national average of 21.7%. So, go ahead and grab another drink.

To ensure the authenticity of one of my workers, I used E-Verify, and it seemed to be fine. However, another employee informed me that the documentation was fake. Curious, I decided to contact the authorities to verify if the name matched the social security number. To my surprise, they refused to disclose any information. It took the government five years before they eventually sent our company a letter regarding the issue, despite the fact that this individual had never filed income taxes or received a refund.

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