Apple : In a landmark decision, tech giant Apple Inc. has agreed to pay $25 million to settle allegations by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) that the company unlawfully prioritized immigrant workers over U.S. citizens and green card holders in certain job placements.
Apple -US
The Justice Department, breaking new ground in addressing discrimination based on citizenship, stated that Apple failed to actively recruit U.S. citizens or permanent residents for positions eligible for the federal program allowing employers to sponsor immigrant workers for green cards. This, the DOJ claims, violates federal law prohibiting discrimination based on citizenship.This settlement marks the largest ever by the Justice Department for claims of citizenship-based discrimination.
Apple is obligated to pay $6.75 million in civil penalties, with an additional $18.25 million allocated to an unspecified number of affected workers.Apple, in response, acknowledged unintentional non-compliance with DOJ standards, stating, “We have implemented a robust remediation plan to comply with the requirements of various government agencies as we continue to hire American workers and grow in the U.S.”
The Justice Department outlined Apple’s alleged deviations from standard recruitment procedures. Apple reportedly did not advertise PERM program-eligible job openings on its website, a practice routine for other positions. Moreover, the company required applicants for these positions to submit paper applications, contrary to its usual acceptance of electronic applications.
The less effective recruitment procedures, according to the DOJ, resulted in limited or no applications for PERM positions from applicants whose work permissions do not expire.While the Justice Department did not specify the affected Apple jobs or the benefits derived from these practices, the overarching concern is the potential cost-cutting associated with foreign labour and the perceived stability of immigrant workers reliant on employer-sponsored green cards.
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