Apple Agrees to $25M Settlement for Discrimination in Hiring Practices
Apple has reached a settlement with the Department of Justice, agreeing to pay up to $25 million in backpay and civil penalties to resolve allegations of discrimination in its hiring practices. The settlement comes after the DOJ found evidence that Apple was discriminating against U.S. citizens and permanent residents in favor of foreign nationals seeking green cards.
The Department of Justice announced the deal this week, marking it as the largest award recovered under anti-discrimination provisions in the Immigration and Nationality Act. According to the DOJ, Apple’s recruitment practices were found to favor beneficiaries of the permanent labor certification program (PERM) over U.S. candidates and non-U.S. residents.
The investigation into Apple began in 2019, during the Trump administration, and found that the tech giant engaged in a “pattern or practice of citizenship status discrimination in recruitment for positions it hired through PERM.” The department concluded that Apple’s unlawful discrimination prejudiced U.S. citizens, nationals, permanent residents, and others granted asylum or refugee status.
Among the evidence of discrimination, the DOJ found that Apple did not advertise positions through the PERM program on its external job website, and required mail paper applications rather than electronic applications, which led to few or no applications from individuals whose work authorization does not expire.
In response to the settlement, Apple said that it employs more than 90,000 people in the U.S. and “continues to invest nationwide, creating millions of jobs.” The company also stated that it has agreed to the settlement to address the concerns raised by the DOJ.
The $25 million settlement includes $6.75 million in penalties and an $18.25 million back-pay fund for alleged discrimination victims. In addition, Apple will be required to ensure that PERM recruitment practices align with standard recruitment practices and conduct more expansive recruitment for PERM positions. The company will also provide anti-discrimination training for employees and be subject to three years of monitoring by the DOJ.
Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke emphasized the DOJ’s commitment to ending illegal discriminatory employment practices, stating, “Creating unlawful barriers that make it harder for someone to seek a job because of their citizenship status will not be tolerated.”
The settlement highlights the importance of fair hiring practices and serves as a reminder to companies to ensure their recruitment processes comply with anti-discrimination laws.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.