This is a population we need to invest in, pay attention to. But the shift is also bringing new challenges. Increasing numbers of workers are claiming they've been discriminated against by being forced to speak only English on the job, federal officials say, with many of those allegations coming from Hispanic employees. And Hispanics remain underrepresented in high-paying positions. Hispanic men make up less than 5 percent of executive, administrative and managerial jobs, according to data from La Raza.
Many Hispanic employees lack health benefits or retirement pensions.
But some hope employers' added efforts to this demographic group may create more opportunity. The company also advertises in Hispanic publications and uses online Hispanic job boards. It also has translated employment and benefit information into Spanish. The University of North Carolina Health Care System at Chapel Hill, N.C., has brought in Spanish interpreters at its new-employee orientations and printed part of its job application information in Spanish. It also has had English classes for Hispanic workers.