US Department of Labor review alleges gender, race-based discrimination
IQVIA Inc., a multinational healthcare services company, will pay $550,000 in back wages and interest to 984 qualified female and Black applicants as part of an agreement with the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs to resolve alleged hiring discrimination at its Parsippany, New Jersey, facility.
An OFCCP compliance review found evidence that – from April 1, 2017 to March 31, 2018 – IQVIA Inc. discriminated against female and Black applicants who applied to work as associate sales consultants. In a conciliation agreement with the U.S. Department of Labor, IQVIA agreed to ensure that its selection process, personnel practices and hiring policies are free from discrimination, and its internal audit and reporting system meets legal requirements. The agency 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.
“Federal contractors who fail to give equal consideration to all applicants – regardless of gender, race or ethnicity – violate the law,” said OFCCP Northeast Regional Director Diana Sen in New York City. “By entering into a federal contract, employers agree to ensure equal opportunity for all workers and compliance with all federal employment laws. The U.S. Department of Labor will act when they fail to do so.”
IQVIA Inc. will also ensure all policies and qualification standards are uniformly applied to all applicants and will train managers, supervisors and other company officials who oversee hiring decisions to ensure its hiring policies and procedures are free from discrimination.
IQVIA Inc. is a provider of biopharmaceutical development and commercial outsourcing services. A subsidiary of IQVIA Inc. based in Danbury, Connecticut, the Parsippany facility has federal service contracts with agencies including the Drug Enforcement Administration, Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In November 2017, Quintiles and IMS Health Inc., merged to form IQVIA.
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