Exclusive: U.S. agency probes Facebook for 'systemic' racial bias in
hiring, promotions
Send a link to a friend
[March 06, 2021] By
Paresh Dave
(Reuters) - A U.S. agency investigating
Facebook Inc for racial bias in hiring and promotions has designated the
probe as "systemic," attorneys for three job applicants and a manager
who claim the company discriminated against them told Reuters on Friday.
A "systemic" probe means the agency, the Equal Employment Opportunity
Commission, suspects company policies may be contributing to widespread
discrimination.
The EEOC typically resolves disputes through mediation or allowing
complainants to sue employers. But agency officials designate a few
cases "systemic," enabling investigators to rope in specialists to
analyze company data and potentially bring a broader lawsuit
representing entire classes of workers.
Facebook operations program manager Oscar Veneszee Jr. and two
applicants denied jobs brought a charge last July to the EEOC, and a
third rejected applicant joined the case in December. They have alleged
Facebook discriminates against Black candidates and employees by relying
on subjective evaluations and promoting problematic racial stereotypes.
The designation of the EEOC's probe has not been previously reported.
The EEOC has not brought allegations against Facebook. Its
investigation, which may last months more, may not result in findings of
wrongdoing. The agency declined to comment.
Facebook spokesman Andy Stone declined to comment on the status of the
probe or specific allegations but said that "it is essential to provide
all employees with a respectful and safe working environment."
"We take any allegations of discrimination seriously and investigate
every case," he said.
The EEOC brought in systemic investigators by last August and received
detailed briefing papers from both sides over the last four months, said
Peter Romer-Friedman, an attorney at Gupta Wessler representing Veneszee
and the job candidates.
Employment law firms Mehri & Skalet and Katz Marshall & Banks also are
helping the workers.
The EEOC's Baltimore, Pittsburgh and Washington offices are involved,
attorneys from the firms said.
[to top of second column] |
A 3D-printed Facebook logo is seen placed on a keyboard in this
illustration taken March 25, 2020. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration
Facebook's counsel, Covington & Burling, did not respond to a request for
comment.
Increasing racial and gender diversity has been a persistent challenge for the
nation's largest tech companies, which at times have blamed a shortage of
qualified candidates from underrepresented groups. But tech workers have grown
emboldened to publicly challenge that notion and allege in formal complaints
that biased employment practices cause disparities.
Romer-Friedman said he and his colleagues told the EEOC in a submission last
month that one such Facebook policy is awarding employees bonuses of up to
$5,000 when a candidate they refer is hired. Referred candidates tend to reflect
the makeup of existing employees, disadvantaging Black professionals, he said.
Facebook said about 3.9% of its U.S. employees as of last June were Black.
David Lopez, a former EEOC general counsel now teaching at Rutgers University,
said that systemic investigations are significant because of the additional
resources involved. When they result in allegations of wrongdoing,
multimillion-dollar settlements sometimes follow, he said, citing recent cases
against Dollar General Corp and Walmart Inc.
In the year ended last Sept. 30, 13 of the 93 EEOC merit lawsuits were systemic,
according to agency data.
Last December, the Justice Department accused Facebook of discriminating against
U.S. workers broadly, saying it gave hiring preference to temporary workers such
as H-1B visa holders.
Alphabet Inc's Google last month agreed to spend $3.8 million to settle U.S.
government allegations that it underpaid women and unfairly passed over women
and Asians for job openings.
(Reporting by Paresh Dave in Oakland, Calif.; Editing by Kenneth Li, Jonathan
Weber and Matthew Lewis)
[© 2021 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2021 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content. |