US Department of Labor, Nielsen Company US reach agreement to resolve alleged race-based hiring discrimination in Dallas, San Antonio

DALLAS – The Nielsen Company US LLC, a global marketing research, data analytics and opinion-research company, will pay $570,000 in back wages and interest to resolve allegations of systemic race-based hiring discrimination in Dallas and San Antonio identified by the U.S. Department of Labor.

The payment is part of a conciliation agreement with the department after routine compliance evaluations by the department’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs alleged discrimination in Nielsen’s hiring practices. The employer will pay back wages and interest to 994 job applicants, extend job opportunities to 56 affected applicants, and take steps to ensure its personnel practices — including recordkeeping, internal audits and outreach — meet legal requirements.

The OFCCP preliminary findings allege Nielsen discriminated against Asian, Black, multi-racial and white job applicants when hiring for research interviewer and bilingual research interviewer positions at its Dallas facility from Jan. 1, 2016, through July 31, 2018, and Black and white applicants at its San Antonio facility from May 1, 2018, through March 18, 2020.

“Together, the U.S. Department of Labor and Nielsen Company have resolved the issues raised in our evaluations, and now Nielsen has the policies and procedures in place to comply with federal hiring and employment laws,” said Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs Acting Director Michele Hodge.

The alleged actions violate Executive Order 11246, which prohibits federal contractors from discriminating in employment based on race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or national origin.

Nielsen provides marketing research services and public opinion polling data. Nielsen has contracts with numerous federal agencies including the U.S. Departments of Agriculture, Health and Human Services, and the Federal Communications Commission.

OFCCP launched the Class Member Locator to identify applicants and/or workers who have been impacted by OFCCP’s compliance evaluations and complaint investigations and who may be entitled to a portion of monetary relief and/or consideration for job placement. If you think you may be a class member who applied between Jan. 1, 2016, through July 31, 2018, at the Nielsen Dallas facility or between May 1, 2018, through March 18, 2020, at the Nielsen San Antonio facility, please call 800-397-6251 or visit the OFCCP website for information about this and other recent OFCCP settlements.