Employers settle with EEOC in national origin bias cases
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The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's strategic enforcement plan for fiscal years 2013-2016 lists six enforcement priorities, including “protecting immigrant, migrant and other vulnerable workers.”
The plan says the agency will “target disparate pay, job segregation, harassment, trafficking and discriminatory policies affecting vulnerable workers who may be unaware of their rights under the equal employment laws, or reluctant or unable to exercise them.”
Meanwhile, the EEOC has reached several settlements recently concerning national origin discrimination. They include:
• Jackson, Tenn.-based tree-trimming service Baird Tree Co. Inc. agreed this month to pay $19,000 to settle a national origin discrimination lawsuit in which it was accused of failing to pay 19 Hispanic employees overtime pay while paying it to its non-Hispanic workers
• Grand Junction, Colo.-based moving and storage company Mesa Systems Inc. agreed in September to pay $450,000 to settle a national origin discrimination lawsuit in which it was accused of subjecting Hispanics and Asia-Pacific islanders to a hostile work environment and a restrictive language policy.
• Phoenix-based aeronautical services company Swift Aviation Services Inc. agreed in July to pay $50,000 to settle the EEOC's accusation that it subjected a former employee to harassment because of his Turkish/Palestinian origin and Muslim religion.
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