Apple To Pay $25 Million For Discriminating Against Americans

Though it claimed to be blissfully unaware that its actions were illegal, Apple will now be forced to pay $25 million to settle a Department of Justice lawsuit. The reason? The company favored immigrant workers and green card holders over American citizens for specific jobs.

The tech giant was accused of failing to recruit U.S. citizens or permanent residents for jobs eligible for a federal program. The permanent labor certification, or PERM program, allowed companies to sponsor immigrant workers on their way to obtaining a green card.

But Americans were not recruited for the same positions, a violation of federal law.

Not only did Apple not advertise the positions on its website as it did for other openings, it required applicants to submit applications on paper. This despite normally allowing online forms to be filed.

Federal officials said the results of these discriminatory policies were that few if any applications for the PERM positions came from U.S. citizens or those whose work permission does not end.

The DOJ declared it is the largest settlement of a discrimination suit based on citizenship. The prestigious maker of iPhones and MacBooks must hand over $6.75 million in civil penalties and $18.25 million to workers affected by the discriminatory practices.

In a statement following the settlement, the company claimed it had “unintentionally not been following the DOJ standard.”

Apple said it created a “robust remediation plan” that will bring it into alignment with federal law. It also pledged to “continue to hire American workers and grow in the U.S.”

Part of the settlement included Apple’s agreement to shift its recruiting for PERM positions to align with the law and its other procedures. The company is also required to instruct its employees on non-discrimination regulations.

There are specific incentives for unscrupulous U.S. employers to target foreign workers at the expense of citizens. For one, they are generally believed to be willing to work for less wages.

This has the effect of driving income down for everyone in the industry.

These workers who strive for green card sponsorship are also more reliant on their employers and thus less likely to move on to a different job.