The Justice Department has reached an agreement with HCSG East LLC and its parent company, Healthcare Services Group Inc. (HCSG), a provider of housekeeping, laundry, and food services for healthcare facilities. This settlement addresses allegations of discrimination against non-U.S. citizens permitted to work in the U.S., specifically at the Siler City, North Carolina location.
Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division stated, “Employers cannot erect unlawful discriminatory barriers to work that exclude entire categories of workers with permission to work in the United States, based on citizenship status.” She emphasized the department's commitment to holding employers accountable under federal civil rights laws.
An investigation by the Civil Rights Division’s Immigrant and Employee Rights Section (IER) found that HCSG refused to accept valid documentation from a worker due to her citizenship status. The investigation also revealed that from February 2022 to December 2022, HCSG had policies at its Siler City location that unlawfully excluded certain workers who were authorized to work but were not U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents.
Under the terms of the settlement, HCSG will pay a civil penalty and provide backpay to an affected worker. Additionally, HCSG is required to train staff on Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) requirements, revise employment policies, recruit broadly without unnecessary English-language requirements in job ads, and undergo departmental monitoring. The INA prohibits employers from demanding specific documents based on citizenship or immigration status when verifying work eligibility.
IER enforces anti-discrimination provisions under the INA which protect against bias based on citizenship status and national origin during hiring processes or employment eligibility verification.
Further information on avoiding discrimination in recruitment can be found on IER’s website. Those who believe they have faced discrimination can file charges through various channels including hotlines and emails provided by IER.