Some tech workers in Florida may have faced workplace discrimination on the basis of race or sex. Following an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor, the company Oracle is alleged by the DOL to have underpaid female, black and Asian employees by a total of $400 million over four years.
Oracle was also accused of discrimination in its hiring practices with 90 percent of one set of graduates hired being Asian although they represented only 65 percent of the hiring pool. Allegedly, with a preference for Asian visa-holders, Oracle was able to keep their wages depressed since they were dependent on the company for the work visa. Furthermore, Oracle was alleged to have created the potential for discrimination by basing pay rates on the worker’s previous salary and by pushing employees into lower-paying career paths. The DOL also says the company destroyed its hiring records and requested that Oracle’s federal contracts be canceled.
Microsoft, Google, Uber and Spotify are some of the other tech companies that have faced complaints about discrimination. Filing a complaint does not always lead to a resolution, and in an anonymous survey, nearly three-fourths of tech employees said they distrusted human resources.
This distrust of human resources means that some people who are facing racial discrimination at work might want to consult Boca Raton, Florida workplace racial discrimination legal assistance. An attorney may be able to assess whether the situation meets the legal standard for racial discrimination and advise the employee on the next steps. For example, the employee might want to document the situation, report it to human resources and wait for the company to investigate. If the response is not satisfactory, an attorney might assist the person in filing a complaint.
Source: HR Dive, “DOL suit: Oracle’s race, gender discrimination cost workers $400M,” Katie Clarey, 1/24/2019
