U.S. government regulators are accusing software maker Oracle of engaging in discriminatory practices that resulted in thousands of its women, black and Asian employees being underpaid by more than $400 million.
The complaint alleges “Oracle suppressed starting salaries for its female and non-White employees, assigned them to lower level positions and depressed their wages over the years they worked at Oracle,” according to CNBC.
Oracle has a major operation in the Triangle and an office in Durham.
The allegations emerged Tuesday in a filing made in a two-year-old case that is being pursued by a part of the U.S. Labor Department that examines the pay practices of government contractors. The agency estimates Oracle has government contracts worth about $100 million annually.
The filing cites evidence that Oracle underpaid women and ethnic minorities for similar work done by white men by as much 25 percent. The alleged practices affected more than 5,000 women, more than 11,000 Asians and fewer than 30 blacks from 2013 through 2016.
CNBC also reported that the Department of Labor “alleged Oracle has a strong preference for hiring Asian recent college graduates, saying about 90 percent of its 500 college and university hires between 2013 and 2016 were Asian, while the overall targeted college and university population is about 65 percent Asian. The complaint alleges Oracle preferred hiring Asian visa-holders, more specifically, which it says ‘lends itself to suppression of that workforce’s wages’ since visa-holders are dependent on Oracle for work authorization in the U.S.”
Oracle declined to comment.
