At some level, we all already know exactly what kind of bias and discrimination tech companies engage in. They hire Asians, particularly Indians, to do all the work, then pay white male executives more than anybody else. That’s the game, it’s just rare for anybody to call them on it.
But the U.S. Department of Labor just did. In a lawsuit, the Labor Department alleges that Oracle America systemically paid white, male workers more than other similarly situated colleagues, AND alleges Oracle unlawfully favored Asians when hiring and recruiting. From Fortune:
In the complaint, the department says Oracle… paid white male employees at its Redwood Shores, Calif. headquarters more than female and non-white workers with the same job titles, even when taking into account for experience and seniority.
At the same time, according to the complaint, Oracle was far more likely to hire Asian applicants—particularly Indian people—for product development and technical roles than black, white, or Hispanic job seekers.
Oracle denies all of the allegations.
You just don’t see this kind of lawsuit every day. If you’re a white guy with corporate skills, Oracle allegedly pays you too much, but if you are a white guy with tech skills, Oracle allegedly won’t give you a fair shake. And if you are black or Hispanic, well, we already know we’re not really welcome in the tech industry.
Let’s keep an eye on this one. Oracle might be the named defendant, but they are surely not alone.
Labor Department Slaps Oracle With Discrimination Lawsuit [Fortune]
Elie Mystal is an editor of Above the Law and the Legal Editor for More Perfect. He can be reached @ElieNYC on Twitter, or at [email protected]. He will resist.
