Oracle Hit By ‘Politically Motivated’ US Government Job Discrimination Lawsuit

The US Department of Labor has filed a lawsuit against Oracle for allegedly carrying out discriminatory hiring and employment practices.

Oracle is accused of paying Caucasian, male employees more than women and those from other ethnic groups in similar job roles, as well as favouring Asian workers for product development and technical positions.

The lawsuit, not the first in Oracle’s illustrious history, was filed by the department’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) and is the result of an investigation into Oracle’s hiring practices which began in 2014.

Discrimination

According to the filling, the tech giant refused to comply with the government’s “routine” requests for employment records, such as hiring data for certain business lines, compensation information and any employee complaints of discrimination.

“The leading technology company has a systemic practice of paying Caucasian male workers more than their counterparts in the same job title, which led to pay discrimination against female, African American and Asian employees,” the lawsuit alleges.

“The suit also challenges Oracle’s systemic practice of favoring Asian workers in its recruiting and hiring practices for product development and other technical roles, which resulted in hiring discrimination against non-Asian applicants.”

OFCCP Acting Director Thomas M. Dowd. said: “Federal contractors are required to comply with all applicable anti-discrimination laws. We filed this lawsuit to enforce those requirements.”

The lawsuit also warns that, if Oracle fails to comply with any penalty or court order, the OFCCP will request the cancellation of all ongoing government contracts and that the company be banned from entering into such contracts in the future.

Speaking to Silicon, Oracle’s vice president of corporate communication Deborah Hellinger said: “The complaint is politically motivated, based on false allegations, and wholly without merit. Oracle values diversity and inclusion, and is a responsible equal opportunity and affirmative action employer.

“Our hiring and pay decisions are non-discriminatory and made based on legitimate business factors including experience and merit.”

Quiz: The history of Oracle