Microsoft Says It Has Worked to Correct Hiring Practice 'Mistakes' After Settlement with DOJ -- Update
December 07 2021 - 7:15PM
Dow Jones News
(Adds details)
By Adriano Marchese
Microsoft Corp. said Tuesday it has worked to address a handful
of immigration-related discrimination mistakes and improve its
hiring processes after reaching a settlement with the Justice
Department.
Earlier Tuesday, the Justice Department said it investigated the
matter after receiving a report that the company asked a job
applicant for a permanent resident card while applying for a job at
Microsoft's Redmond, Wash., facility.
A Microsoft spokesperson said: "We hire and confirm employment
eligibility for tens of thousands of people, and a handful were
mistakenly asked for extra information or documentation. We
appreciate we need to prevent these mistakes and have worked to
address these issues and improve our internal processes as part of
our commitment to compliance."
The DOJ said the investigation gave it cause to believe that
between February 2018 and January 2020, Microsoft committed unfair
documentary practices against at least six applicants based on
citizenship status.
Employers are required to verify if a worker has permission to
work in the U.S. but prohibits them from asking for documents when
not required or from specifying the types of valid
documentation.
As a part of the settlement, Microsoft will have to adjust how
it hires people as to ensure it isn't unlawfully requiring non-U.S.
citizen applicants to provide specific immigration documents to
prove they don't require sponsorship for a work visa.
This means training its employees who are responsible for
verifying and reverifying workers' permission to work in the
country, and the company will be subject to monitoring and
reporting requirements.
As well as the changes to its hiring practices and process, the
settlement requires Microsoft to pay a civil penalty of $17,352 to
the Treasury.
"The department also hopes that this settlement will inspire
other employers to ensure that their own policies and practices are
not discriminatory," said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke
of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division.
Write to Adriano Marchese at adriano.marchese@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
December 07, 2021 19:00 ET (00:00 GMT)
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