Justice Department Reaches Settlement with Staffing Company to Resolve Immigration-related Unfair Employment Practices

The Justice Department announced today that it reached an agreement with Kelly Services Inc., a staffing company based in Troy, Mich., resolving an allegation of discrimination based on citizenship status during the employment eligibility re-verification process at one of its branch locations in Schaumburg, Ill.  The investigation was initiated by the department’s Office of Special Counsel for Immigration-Related Unfair Employment Practices (OSC) based on information obtained from a former employee of the company who had contacted that office. 

The department’s investigation concluded that Kelly Services terminated the individual’s employment during the employment eligibility re-verification process when he did not produce a new U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)-issued document, even though he had a valid unrestricted Social Security card at the time that was also acceptable to show continued employment eligibility.  To resolve the matter, Kelly Services has agreed to compensate the former employee for lost wages in the amount of $1,888.60 and pay a $1,100 civil penalty to the United States.  Designated Kelly Services staff will also participate in Justice Department training on employers’ responsibilities under the anti-discrimination provision of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA).

 OSC is responsible for enforcing the anti-discrimination provision of the INA.  For more information about protections against employment discrimination under the immigration laws, call the OSC’s worker hotline at 1-800-255-7688 (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired), call the OSC’s employer hotline at 1-800-255-8155 (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired), sign up for a free webinar at www.justice.gov/about/osc/webinars.php , email osccrt@usdoj.gov or visit the website at www.justice.gov/crt/about/osc