Forced unpaid leave without earned vacation

[XYZ]

I work(ed?) at a consultant firm that employs a lot of people from overseas.
We are here with an H1-B visa.
This year the company did not let us to take earned vacation days.
Now it came out that 48 of us are sent to a "forced unpaid leave".
However, they still do not want to give out our earned vacation days, we have to go on an unpaid leave.

To my question they answered that "At this time only terminating employees will be paid out their accrued/unused vacation."


I have got the feeling that they first have to give out our earned holidays and then force us to take unpaid leave.

 

[Warren Williams]

Ask your state department of labor.

 

[Attorney_Replogle]

Check out this web site's listing of labor lawyers in your area, then contact them. What you have is not only a possible illegal act by the employer regarding the forced unpaid leave, but the employer may also face huge penalties for immigration violations. The immigration violations would not be for hiring employees such as yourself, but rather how they have taken advantage of immigrants. You should also have access to a company handbook or policies and procedures manual. If you do, look up this issue in there. And keep a copy for your attorney.

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Mark B. Replogle