News Release
Becton, Dickinson and Company agrees to pay $499K to resolve alleged hiring discrimination at Nebraska subsidiaries in Columbus, Holdrege
COLUMBUS, NE – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs has entered into a conciliation agreement with Becton, Dickinson and Company to resolve alleged hiring discrimination at the medical technology manufacturer’s three subsidiaries in Columbus and Holdrege.
In the agreement, the company will pay $499,349 in back pay and interest to 125 qualified female applicants. It will also take corrective action to ensure its hiring policies and procedures are free from discrimination, and provide training to all managers, supervisors and others who oversee hiring decisions.
“Our agreement with Becton, Dickinson and Company will ensure that individuals applying for positions in the medical technology industry will have equal access in hiring as the law requires,” said Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs Regional Director Carmen Navarro in Chicago.
A routine OFCCP compliance evaluation found that Becton, Dickinson and Company discriminated against the female applicants when they applied for needle assembly, operator technician, and plastipak setup operator positions at the company’s Columbus West facility from June 11, 2016, to June 10, 2018, set-up operator positions at the Columbus East facility from April 15, 2018, to April 14, 2020, and for forming operator positions at the Holdrege facility from Feb. 7, 2018, to Feb. 6, 2020.
OFCCP determined that the company’s actions violated Executive Order 11246, which prohibits federal contractors from discriminating in employment based on race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or national origin.
The Columbus and Holdrege facilities operate as subsidiaries of Becton, Dickinson and Company, based in Franklin Lakes, New Jersey. The company has contracts with the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs
OFCCP launched the Class Member Locator to identify applicants or workers who may be entitled to monetary relief and/or consideration for job placement as a result of OFCCP’s compliance evaluations and complaint investigations. If you think you may be a class member who applied for jobs at Becton, Dickinson and Company during the investigative period, please use OFCCP’s Class Member Locator to learn more about this and other settlements.
