The Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) has announced a pair of settlements in cases alleging systemic hiring discrimination. For the settlements, payment of back wages and commitment to hire alleged victims were part of the agreement. In the most recent settlement, a federal contractor allegedly denied jobs to 145 female applicants for pharmacy attendant positions. While denying liability, the contractor agreed to hire 11 female class members and pay $400,000 in back wages with interest to the 145 females who were denied positions.
As part of its allegations in both cases, the OFCCP cited a lack of employment records reflecting the adherence to consistent hiring practices as part of the contractors’ discriminatory issues. These cases serve as good reminders that proper record keeping and retention policies, paired with accurate applicant tracking protocols and fair hiring practices, are essential for all organizations to prevent and defend against claims of alleged discriminatory hiring.
To learn how your firm can reduce the chances of being implicated in a hiring discrimination suit, or to request an evaluation of your company’s current programs, we invite you to give us a call at (765) 932-5917.