(RTTNews) – Apple Inc. (AAPL) agreed to pay $25 million to settle allegations that the company unlawfully discriminated in hiring and recruiting against US citizens and certain non-US citizens whose permission to live and work in the US does not expire. , the US Department of Justice said in a statement on Thursday.
The settlement resolves the department’s determination that Apple violated the Immigration and Nationality Act or the INA’s anti-discrimination requirements during Apple’s recruitment for positions falling under the permanent worker certification program, or PERM.
The PERM program is administered by the US Department of Labor and the US Department of Homeland Security. It allows employers to sponsor workers for lawful permanent resident status in the United States after completing recruitment and meeting other program requirements. Any US employer that utilizes the PERM program cannot unlawfully discriminate in employment or recruitment based on citizenship or immigration status.
The US department’s investigation, which began in February 2019, found that Apple did not advertise positions that Apple sought to fill through the PERM program on its external job site, even though its standard practice was to post other jobs on this site. It also required all PERM position applicants to submit paper applications, although the company allowed electronic applications for other positions.
In some cases, Apple did not consider certain applications for PERM positions from Apple employees if those applications were submitted electronically, as opposed to paper applications submitted by mail. These less efficient recruitment procedures have almost always resulted in few or no applications to PERM positions from applicants whose permission to work does not expire.
According to the settlement of 25 million dollars, Apple must pay 6.75 million dollars in civil penalties and establish a fund of 18.25 million dollars for eligible discrimination victims. The agreement also requires Apple to ensure that its recruitment for PERM positions more closely aligns with its standard recruitment practices.