Latest news with #hiringpractices
Fox News
09-06-2025
- Business
- Fox News
Johnson & Johnson denies engaging in illegal DEI practices after group makes civil rights complaint
Johnson & Johnson is denying any wrongdoing after being accused of violating federal law and a Trump executive order with DEI hiring practices, according to an investigation request submitted by America First Legal (AFL). "Johnson & Johnson has always been and will continue to be compliant with all applicable laws and has never engaged in any "illegal DEI,'" a Johnson & Johnson spokesperson told Fox News Digital. AFL is accusing Johnson & Johnson of violating the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the federal government's Equal Opportunity Clause by engaging in what they claim is unlawful hiring and employment practices that they have openly promoted in past disclosures. The conservative legal watchdog is calling on the Department of Health and Human Services to launch an investigation into the drugmaker, claiming the company's commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion violates federal law and affects every aspect of the business. "[Johnson & Johnson's] public representations regarding the role of 'equity' in its employment practices reveal that it systematically and intentionally ignores its compliance obligations and instead violates [their] equal opportunity assurances to the federal government," AFL wrote in a letter to the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Civil Rights. According to Johnson & Johnson's 2023 Health for Humanity Report, the company sought to have 50% of its management positions held by women and 6.8% of management slots held by Black and African American employees by 2025 as part of its "aspirational goals." The report pointed to its progress in achieving 49% women representation and 6.5% Black and African American representation in management slots as of 2023. "The Company's disregard for American civil rights is brazen. It boasts about 'creating equity across our systems and fostering and advancing a culture of inclusion,'" the AFL complaint said. A LinkedIn business post entitled "How Johnson & Johnson is building a diverse talent pipeline" claimed that the pharmaceutical giant uses data to monitor its talent goals and holds leaders in the company accountable to them. The article claims the diversity of the talent pool they are recruiting from is tracked as part of this data. "One of the measures we are starting to look at is, not just the readiness of the pipeline… but what does the diversity of that mix look like? In order to provide a score or an assessment of the strength of the pipeline," Johnson & Johnson executive Sarah McKensey said in a video interview that accompanied the article. The article said the purpose of providing such an assessment on the talent pipeline was to ensure that diversity becomes "a natural feature of the hiring landscape" and said the company also holds external recruiters accountable for the diversity of their talent pool. Johnson & Johnson's 2023 DEI Impact Report stated that its leaders are responsible for developing "diverse and inclusive teams" and its 2023 health and humanity report detailed how the company would partner with women's professional associations in order to achieve "parity" in management. Johnson & Johnson had 3,719 contracts in 2024 with the departments of Health and Human Services, Defense, and other agencies, according to with $11.6 billion in potential total value. Upon taking office in 2025, President Donald Trump issued an executive order banning federal agencies from doing business with companies that engage in discriminatory DEI practices. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 says that "An unlawful employment or other hiring practice exists when race, color, religion, sex, or national origin is a motivating factor for any employment decision." Federal regulations state that federal agencies can cut off contracts from outfits that are not in compliance with the Civil Rights Act. The AFL claims the Biden administration shirked its responsibility to investigate whether companies in the medical space were in violation of the civil rights act, and is urging the Trump administration to act now. The company appears to have removed most of its DEI-related content from its public-facing website since Trump took office. The company's former DEI policy landing page, which once stated, "Johnson & Johnson and all its operating companies are committed to workforce diversity, creating equity across our systems, and fostering and advancing a culture of inclusion," now redirects to a more general appendix of ESG policies. The 2023 DEI impact report and the 2023 Health for Humanity report also redirect to the inclusion page. Another DEI landing page has been deleted and replaced with a more tepid "inclusion" page. However, AFL contends that the drugmaker is merely trying to conceal its ongoing DEI violations, and demands a federal investigation to uncover whether it is in compliance with the Civil Rights Act. "Until very recently, Johnson & Johnson proudly touted DEI policies on its website that AFL believes plainly violated the Civil Rights Act. Institutions across corporate America and academia are now taking steps to rebrand or conceal their unlawful DEI policies in order to evade detection and continue their discriminatory must investigate to determine whether Johnson & Johnson is still engaging in illegal discrimination and violating the Civil Rights Act," AFL Vice President Dan Epstein told Fox News Digital. The Department of Health and Human Services did not respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
Fox News
29-05-2025
- Business
- Fox News
Chicago alderman slams mayor's hiring practices as 'giant leap in the wrong direction' amid DOJ probe
Print Close By Adam Sabes Published May 29, 2025 A Chicago alderman says the city is taking a "giant leap in the wrong direction" after the Department of Justice announced it is investigating Mayor Brandon Johnson's hiring practices. During a May 18 service at the Apostolic Church of God, Johnson responded to people who claimed he only talked about hiring Black people. "No, what I'm saying is, when you hire our people, we always look out for everybody else. We are the most generous people on the planet," he said. "I'm laying that out because when you ask, 'How do we ensure that our people get a chance to grow their business,' having people in my administration that will look out for the interests of everyone, and everyone means you have to look out for the interests of Black folks." Johnson mentioned top officials who serve in his administration and emphasized their race. One example included his deputy mayor of business and economic development, a Black woman. DOJ LAUNCHES INVESTIGATION INTO BLUE STATE CITY OVER ALLEGED RACE-BASED HIRING After his remarks, Harmeet K. Dhillon, the assistant attorney general for the Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division, notified Johnson his administration is being investigated to see if it utilizes discriminatory hiring practices. Read the letter here "Considering these remarks, I have authorized an investigation to determine whether the City of Chicago is engaged in a pattern or practice of discrimination as set forth above. If these kind of hiring decisions are being made for top-level positions in your administration, then it begs the question whether such decisions are also being made for lower-level positions," Dhillon said. Chicago Alderman Raymond Lopez told Fox News Digital he's glad the DOJ is looking into the Johnson administration's hiring practices, saying he thinks many Chicagoans have the same concern. CHICAGO'S MAYOR JOHNSON IS SO FOCUSED ON RACE HE CAN'T SEE THE TRUTH ABOUT HUMANITY "I am glad that they are looking into it. I think it validates the concerns that many Chicagoans have had that Brandon Johnson is a mayor, not for the entire city, but for only one demographic," Lopez said. "There are tens of thousands of individuals who work for the city of Chicago who feel as though they have been left out of promotions, left out of advancement or even left out from being hired as a whole even on the front line. And I think that needs to be looked into by the Department of Justice." Lopez said he thinks the city is taking steps in the wrong direction in the way it hires. "This is just one sad step backwards for the City of Chicago to have the mayor articulate so passionately that he prefers to hire one ethnic demographic at the expense of all others. It doesn't make sense to me how, in the 21st century, we've done so much to try to move beyond seeing each other just solely based on race, that we are now taking a giant leap in the wrong direction," he said. The alderman said there are Black Chicago residents he talks to who disagree with Johnson when it comes to hiring decisions. "Let me be 100%, 110% clear on this note. There are African Americans who don't like that statement either. There are many well-qualified leaders of departments who put blood, sweat and tears into lifting up Chicago, who now have been trivialized by his comments and are viewed through a lens of they're just here because they're Black," Lopez added. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP In comments made after the DOJ launched its investigation, Johnson said it came from a place of fear. "You can tell when someone is fearful is because they act out," Johnson said. "We have a president that is screaming and having tantrums right now because we have an administration that reflects the city of Chicago, but he would much rather have administrations that reflect the country club. Period." Fox News Digital reached out to Johnson for comment. Fox News' Greg Wehner contributed to this report. Print Close URL
Independent Singapore
22-05-2025
- Business
- Independent Singapore
"Too fat cannot, too skinny cannot" - Cafe owner sparks outrage for asking job applicant to submit full-body photo
SINGAPORE: A cafe owner has ignited a firestorm of criticism online after requesting a full-body photo from a job applicant to assess their appearance. The request was exposed by TikToker @justwanttofindajob in a video published on Tuesday (20 May). The TikToker included screenshots of a WhatsApp exchange between them and the employer in the video. What began as a routine enquiry quickly became uncomfortable when the employer requested the applicant to send 'your recent photo showing your full height.' Puzzled, the applicant responded politely, 'Just wondering, may I ask what the full-body photo is needed for? I'd be happy to send one if it's relevant for the role.' Instead of clarifying the professional need, the employer responded with two voice messages that left many viewers stunned. 'This is a job interview, job interview we need to see photo,' the employer said in one message. In the next, he elaborated further: 'I tell you why: too fat cannot, too skinny cannot, too ugly cannot, too pretty also cannot. So we have to see, okay?' See also Bloody fight outside Parklane Shopping Mall He maintained that the photo request was '100 per cent relevant,' asserting that 'every interviewer will want to see your photo.' The applicant ultimately blocked the number, according to the TikTok post. The video quickly gained traction, drawing sharp criticism from viewers over what many see as an inappropriate and discriminatory hiring practice. 'That's a red flag right there,' wrote one commenter. Another quipped, 'Sounds like chikopek,' using the Hokkien term often used to describe a lecherous man. While some acknowledged that appearance might play a role in customer-facing positions, they expressed discomfort with the employer's blunt explanation. 'I understand the full-length photo if it's for a customer-facing job,' one viewer wrote. 'But the way he phrased it just weirds me out.' In Singapore, while some service industry employers request headshots for roles where grooming and presentation are key, asking for full-body photos—especially with such reasoning—raises ethical and possibly legal concerns. Under the Tripartite Guidelines on Fair Employment Practices, employers are advised to assess candidates based on merit and relevant qualifications, and to avoid discriminatory hiring practices. The identity of the café was not disclosed in the video, but the incident has renewed debate about what constitutes acceptable hiring criteria and how jobseekers can protect themselves from questionable practices.
Washington Post
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Washington Post
Justice Department investigates Chicago's hiring practices after mayor touts Black hires
The U.S. Department of Justice has opened a civil rights investigation into hiring practices at the city of Chicago, according to a letter shared on social media and sent to the Chicago mayor's office. The probes announcement Monday came a day after Mayor Brandon Johnson spoke at a Chicago church to outline his vision for the remainder of his term. During the speech, Johnson praised the number of Black people in top positions in his administration. The speech garnered immediate attention on social media, including calls from conservatives and others to investigate.
CBS News
20-05-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson to address DOJ lawsuit on hiring practices, provides racial breakdown of staff
Mayor Brandon Johnson will publicly address a lawsuit filed by the U.S. Department of Justice Monday looking into the City of Chicago's hiring practices. Mayor Johnson will answer questions from the media at 10 a.m. Tuesday. The Justice Department said it is specifically investigating the number of Black men and women who serve in Johnson's administration, which he spoke about at an event at a church in Woodlawn Sunday. "The deputy mayor is a Black woman. The Department of Finance Development is a Black woman," Johnson told parishioners. "When you ask, how do we ensure that our people get a chance to grow their businesses, having people in my administration that will look out for the interest of everyone, and everyone means you have to look out for the interests of Black folks." The DOJ cited that moment in a letter, saying if those hiring decisions are being made for top-level positions, "it begs the question whether such decisions are also being made for lower-level positions." But experts say political appointments do not fall under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, which is the statute cited by the Justice Department in their letter opening the investigation. Political appointments, experts said, would also not be covered by employment discrimination law. "They would not be employees under Title VII, so even if it were true that he was going out of his way to hire people of a particular race, that would not violate the law," said Carolyn Shapiro, professor law at University of Chicago Kent College of Law. Johnson's team sent CBS News Chicago a breakdown of the racial makeup of his 105 member staff. According to his office, 34% of employees are Black, 30% are white, 23% are Hispanic, 7% are Asian and 5% are two or more ethnicities.
