A Black employee and two Black job applicants have accused Facebook of racial bias in terms of hiring and promotions. The US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is now investigating the matter.
It has been alleged that the social media platform has a system wherein any complaints regarding racial discrimination are arbitrated in a ‘secret forum’. The Company has also been accused of preferring Whites and even Asians over Blacks when it comes to hiring.
The complaint was filed in July 2020, by Oscar Veneszee, Jr., a Black employee along with two people whom he had hired, but the Company had rejected. Veneszee alleged that Facebook has a serious issue with Blacks and that it does not nurture a culture that can attrack or retain Black employees.
Two years ago, a Black employee had revealed that Facebook did not treat its Black staff properly. While Facebook maintains that it takes such allegations of discrimination seriously, its recent diversity report shows that it has not met its goal of ensuring that 50 per cent of its workforce comprises members of underrepresented groups by 2024.
With investigations on into the allegations, it is now suspected that Facebook’s policies may be leading to widespread discrimination.
Apparently, there is a referral policy that allows employees to receive up to $5,000 per hire, which put Blacks at a disadvantage.
Since the Company is accused of ‘systemic’ bias, the probe could take a lot of time and resources. Such allegations tend to result in heavy settlements that run into millions of dollars.
