|
| |||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
| ||||||||||
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
|
A Guide to Doing Well in Bowling Green Your first job may not pay well, and it may not be in your former occupation, but it is the first step up your ladder to success. While you may receive some help from employment agencies, friends, or relatives, your efforts are the most important. Employment is not a right that is guaranteed by the U.S. government. You will be competing with others for the same jobs. Your first job most likely will not be your last job. It will be an important step in establishing your US. work history. As your English skills improve you heighten your chances of moving to a better, higher-paying job. Staying on the job for at least six months is important for your work history. Use your English skills as much as possible. Although it may not have been acceptable for women to work in your homeland, it is normal for them to work outside the home in the United States. Two incomes in the family will help your family move toward financial self-sufficiency. Children over the age of 15 may work part-time. Many young people work after school and during vacations. Set long-range employment goals. These might be to acquire skills that will help you get a better job or to move up in the job you have. This will take careful planning, an understanding of the job market, and learning about requirements, certification, or licensing. You may find help and information from an employment counselor in your community or at a nearby community college or university. Be patient! The United States is known as a land of opportunity, but realizing your dreams takes a lot of work. Set your goals, make your plan, and follow it. Your American Dream can come true. Finding a Job Employers often judge you by your appearance and behavior. Even if you speak little or no English, a smile and eagerness to work will help a lot. Arrive on time for the job interview, looking clean, with a haircut, and wearing clean clothes. Everyone feels anxious in this situation, but try to relax. Don't be discouraged if you aren't hired after your first interview. It may take many interviews before you are hired. This is normal for all job seekers in the United States. You may apply at Kentucky Department for Employment Services (DES) at the corner of Chestnut and 8th Streets. DES places jobs free of charge. If you fill out an application at DES it is very important to fill it out completely and correctly. Before you turn it in, ask a worker if it is correct and complete. A member of the staff at DES will give you an instruction paper in your language. If you do not fill out the form correctly, it will be thrown out. Private employment agencies charge a fee for helping you find a job. Some of these fees are high, and you should be certain that you understand their policies before signing a contract. Any time you do not understand a contract, ask for an interpreter and be sure you understand every line. There are agencies that specialize in "temporary" work. They usually do not charge a fee; however, you must remember that this employment is not permanent and you will probably not receive any benefits such as health insurance. You will need to find another job when the temporary job is over. Sometimes companies hire their temporary employees for full-time jobs with benefits. You will always be required to show proof of employment authorization to work in the United States. You will need a Social Security Card and a photo ID (such as a passport or driver's license). Always carry the originals of these documents to a job interview. Photocopies are not acceptable.
Discrimination In the Workplace You have rights!
Pay and Deductions Federal and state wage laws apply to all types of work. Before accepting a job, always determine what the regular pay will be, and if you don't understand, be sure to ask. In addition to the actual pay, a variety of benefits may be included. Ask about these also. Once employed, you will be required to complete a form, which reports your earnings to the Internal Revenue Service, the government agency that collects taxes. Your paycheck will be given to you at the end of a regular period of time. This may be every week, every two weeks, or once a month. Some smaller companies may pay in cash, but you should always receive a pay stub or receipt that lists all hours worked, gross pay, net pay, and deductions. The first paycheck can be very confusing to a new worker. Ask a friend, relative, or co-worker to explain it to you if you do not understand. It is important to check that payments and deductions have been figured correctly. Clock in and out properly so that the correct amount of hours is recorded on your timecard. Gross pay is the total amount earned during a time period before any deductions are made. Look at the pay stub to check that the gross amount matches the wage level at which you were hired, multiplied by the number of hours you actually worked. Deductions are the amounts taken from your gross pay during a pay period. Most deductions are required by law and include money for federal income tax, Social Security tax, Medicare tax, and, in Kentucky, a state income tax. In addition, you will most likely have a deduction from your check for Bowling Green and Warren County. You may also choose to have additional money deducted to pay for such things as medical insurance, union dues, life insurance, or a company savings plan. Net pay is the amount you actually receive in your check after all the deductions have been made.
Company Benefits Company benefits are provided by the employer directly. Government benefits are provided by the government through the taxes that are deducted from your pay as described above. Sometimes it is better to accept a job for less money with good benefits, depending on your family situation. Health insurance is a benefit an employer may provide at a reduced cost to you. Some companies have a waiting period of up to 6 months before workers can enroll for health insurance. In many cases workers can choose to pay a higher fee and include their family on their insurance. Health costs can be very high in the United States, so this is an important benefit. Once an employee's health insurance is active, the policy may require the use of certain doctors and hospitals for maximum coverage. By going outside the requirements, employees will be covered at a lesser percentage or receive no coverage at all. Health insurance generally covers the majority of health care costs, but the patient will be expected to pay a deductible (initial cost) and a percentage of each charge. Employees should review the company's benefits book for a complete explanation. Health plans vary from company to company. Additional benefits may be offered by your employer, such as sick leave, vacation time, personal days, and retirement plans. Company policies differ greatly, so you should learn as much as possible about your employer's policies when you are hired. In some cases, benefits change the longer you work for the company. It is important to ask questions of your employer's personnel (human resources) office. Ask your friends, relatives, or others to help you understand about your benefits and other programs. 401K benefits help you to save money and save taxes. Learn what 401K benefits mean if your company offers them. Some of your pay and some company money are put together to build assets for your future. Do not refuse job benefits until you really understand how they can help you. Farm jobs do not require time and a half pay for overtime and usually do not offer benefits. Temporary jobs do not offer insurance or other benefits.
Government Benefits Social Security is a federal government retirement insurance program. The cost is shared between the employer and employee. Social Security benefits are based on your U.S. wage history and are available to workers who have contributed to the program through taxes. Unemployment insurance, supported by taxes paid by the employer, is available to those who lose their jobs because the employer does not have enough work to do. If you are laid off from your job because of a lack of business, you may sign up for Kentucky Unemployment Insurance. The office is located at the corner of Chestnut and 8th Streets in the same building with Kentucky Department for Employment Services. Unemployment Insurance will pay weekly benefits but not as much as your work pay would provide. You are required to look for other jobs as long as you are collecting unemployment insurance. You must have worked during the four quarters before the last quarter to qualify. Workers' compensation insurance is available in Kentucky and provides some salary and medical coverage for workers injured on the job. If you are injured on the job, report the injury immediately to your supervisor. A report should be made, and you will be sent for medical care if needed. If you do not report an injury on the same day, the insurance may not pay the bills. Damage caused by repeating a movement over and over may be covered by workers' compensation insurance. If you lose much work time from a job injury, some of your lost pay may be returned to you. It is much lower than your normal pay would be. Follow the safety rules at work. Don't play. Wear safety glasses and back braces as directed. Do not try to hurry or work faster than the other workers. It is easy to get hurt this way. Your employer has the right to fire you if he sees you doing anything dangerous to yourself or others. When an employee is injured at work, the employer's rate of insurance increases, so it costs the employer. Employers will not hire workers who have gotten hurt often on other jobs.
Employee Rights As a legal immigrant, you have the same employment rights in the United States as every American citizen. An employer may not discriminate against you because of your immigrant status or deny you a job or a promotion because of your age, color, handicap, marital status, ethnic or national origin, race, religion, or sex. He must pay you the same as other workers doing the same job, and he must pay you time and a half for hours worked over 40 hours per week. Some jobs are open only to American citizens, such as most jobs with the federal government. Employment laws protect all workers from unsafe working conditions and sexual harassment in the workplace.
Getting the Job Keep the following tips in mind when you apply for a job or go for a job interview:
Keeping the Job
Moving to a Better Job Within Your Company
Getting Along at Work Learn as much as you can about what is required of you at your job. You may start as the lowest employee on the ladder, but it is possible to move up in your job. By being dependable and punctual and doing a good job you may move up to sooner than you expect. Make friends at work. Learn to say, "Hello," "Please," and "Thank you." A smile will usually be returned to you even if you and the other person cannot talk to each other.
Employment Authorization People from South and Central America are known and respected as good workers. To work legally, every worker must have one of several kinds of employment authorization cards and a Social Security Card. The employer may require the applicant to have a test for drug usage. All employers are required by the U.S. government to be sure all of their employees are legally authorized to work. The I-9 Form is required by the government. Each new employee must have one or more documents proving that he/she can legally work. The employer is not allowed to tell you which cards to show him. He may not require you to show more than what the I - 9 requires. The Department for Manpower Services or the International Center can explain the requirements. The Bowling Green Human Rights Commission will assist in reporting any infringements on your rights. If you have a question about your employment authorization or if you need assistance renewing your Employment Authorization Document (EAD) or want to try to apply for an EAD, the International Center may be able to assist you. Everything will be confidential. NOTICE: If a person enters the United States without inspection (EWI) to marry or to join a spouse, the spouse with documentation must apply for an EAD for the spouse without documentation within 6 months of arrival; otherwise, there is a 3-year wait outside the country. If the EWI is in the United States over a year without being documented, there is a 10-year wait outside the country before he/she can be adjusted to permanent residency. Many people qualify for employment authorization. A few of them include:
Only the Social Security Administration can issue a Social Security Card. Only the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service can issue an Employment Authorization Card or a Green Card allowing legal employment. Both the person using false cards and those who manufacture or sell them are committing a crime. The International Center, some immigration attorneys in Louisville, and some churches can legally assist you with Immigration Questions and questions about your work authorization. A good practitioner should refer you to an immigration lawyer if necessary. Louisville has several experienced immigration lawyers. Most immigration questions and paperwork do not require a lawyer, but one is needed in cases of deportation and asylum. Agencies that assist with Immigration are not the Immigration and Naturalization Service. The closest Immigration Service Center is in Louisville. The Immigration Office in Bowling Green only works with criminal situations.
Return to Contents of Cultural Guide | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| | | | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
