Alex Vlaisavich is the firm’s guest blogger. He is a full-time student at Wheaton College and an intern at Favaro & Gorman, Ltd.
Aerotek, a national temporary placement agency, recently agreed to pay $3.525 million in order to resolve claims that it had violated federal anti-discrimination laws when assigning work at client companies, per the EEOC. After approximately thirteen years of investigations, the case has finally met its end, culminating in one of the largest systemic discrimination outcomes achieved by the EEOC in recent times.
The EEOC has stated that Aerotek failed to recruit and assign work to employees on the basis of age, gender and race, a practice which is strictly prohibited under Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act and the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (ADEA). Rather than face litigation, Aerotek agreed to reach a settlement with the EEOC which involves paying out half of the funds as relief to the charging parties, while the remainder will be donated to organizations that focus on education and employment for underprivileged communities.
Julianne Bowman, the EEOC Chicago District Director, commented saying, “Honoring discriminatory client placement requests is a pervasive problem in the staffing industry, the EEOC and the Chicago District in particular, has been trying to combat for some time.” Bowman further added, “Other staffing agencies should take heed, and companies need to know they cannot pass off discriminatory hiring decisions to staffing agencies.”
Both Dennis Favaro and Patricia Jochum, attorneys at Favaro & Gorman, Ltd. played an integral role throughout the years of investigatory work and deliberation, serving as attorneys representing two charging parties. Rightly so, Aerotek’s settlement made waves within the realm of employment law. Due to privacy considerations, the identities of the firm’s clients were not disclosed. Blurbs were written by and posted online by the following organizations and can be accessed through the hyperlinks provided: EEOC, Staffing Industry Analysts, Bloomberg Law, Business Insurance, Law 360, HR Morning and others. Even in 2016, the story made headlines throughout the investigation process, being covered by The Chicago Reporter.
Through the combined efforts of the EEOC and Favaro & Gorman, Ltd. this settlement demonstrates a strong zero tolerance policy towards discriminatory practices within the workplace.
DISCLAIMER: The above is not and should not be interpreted as legal advice. It is for informational purposes only. You should consult an attorney for legal advice.