Florida company that abused H-2A visa workers in 2018 did it again, got fined $37,000
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Florida companies and H-2A visa worker mistreatment
Abuse of H-2A workers isn’t limited to Florida companies, but the U.S. Department of Labor hasn’t had much trouble finding the problem here.
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An Avon Park company with a track record of mistreating the H-2A visa workers it brings in for agricultural work continued the misbehavior and got fined a $37,500 civil money penalty, the U.S. Department of Labor announced.
Marin J. Corp. also owed workers $9,500 for its most recent violation. Labor said the company, owned by Jorge Marin-Perez and run day-to-day by Jorge Jovan Marin Gomez, brought in H-2A workers to harvest blueberries for OZblu in Venus. Marin J. should have reimbursed workers for the visa fees they paid by the end of the first pay period.
The company didn’t reimburse the workers, a Wage and Hour investigation found.
In 2018, Marin J. brought in H-2A workers purportedly to work in Florida, shipped them to Missouri and didn’t house, feed or pay them properly.
READ MORE: Florida company sent H-2A workers elsewhere, abused them, underpaid them by $165,000
What is the H-2A temporary worker program?
The H-2A guest worker visa program allows companies to use non-immigrant foreign workers for seasonal work if the company anticipates a shortage of U.S. workers. But, the employers must follow a set of requirements, including:
▪ Trying to fill the jobs with United States-based workers first
▪ Paying special rates for H-2A workers
▪ Providing housing and transportation to the job site
▪ Providing meals if the housing doesn’t have kitchens or kitchenettes
▪ Providing H-2A workers work that’s at least 75% of the work specified in the job contract.
Who do you call about possible Wage and Hour violations?
The Wage and Hour complaint section of Labor’s website contains information on how to file a complaint if you believe your employer has violated the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). Miami’s Wage and Hour Division office can be reached at 305-598-6607. The national helpline is 866-4US-WAGE (487-9243).
No matter a worker’s immigration or citizenship status, he or she can speak with the department, which says it can handle calls in more than 200 languages.
This story was originally published April 7, 2022 at 11:55 AM.
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