Justice Department Slaps IBM Over H-1B Hiring Practices

Dawn Kawamoto writes "IBM reached a settlement with the Justice Department over allegations it posted discriminatory online job openings, allegedly stating a preference for H-1B and foreign student visa holders for its software and apps developer positions. The job openings were for IT positions that would eventually require the applicant to relocate overseas. IBM agreed to pay $44,400 in civil penalties to the U.S., as well as take certain actions in the way it hires within the U.S. The settlement, announced Friday, comes at a time with tech companies are calling for the U.S. to allow more H-1B workers into the country."

Comments

Are you F*cking kidding me!!!

[msmonroe]

Could the justice department do any less? The fines are a joke.

Re:Are you F*cking kidding me!!!

[ebno-10db]

The average H-1B "worker" does not have any skills that are in particularly short supply in the US. That's a myth created by tech companies to up the quota and suppress wages. It's aided and abetted by academia, which wants more customers (called "students" in their business) and their own cheap labor. It's a line parroted by politicians and pundits, but not supported by, uh, you know, actual facts.

If you want immigrants that are more highly skilled than we have now, then adopt the Australian system, which gives preference to skills that are in particularly high demand, as demonstrated by actual labor statistics rather than the say-so of tech billionaires. For example, a while ago Australia was giving preference to hair stylists. People joked about it, but there was a genuinely high demand for them. Maybe it's all that sun and surf. Regardless, if there is a high demand for hair stylists but not programmers, then hairstylist is a more valuable skill. Your opinion of programmers as highly skilled is irrelevant. Professors of Medieval French Literature are also highly skilled and educated, but there's no shortage of them.

Lastly, if what you're looking for is skilled immigrants, then why have a guest worker program like the H-1B instead of an immigration program?

You're 99.9% wrong on blaming government.

[sethstorm]

The only wrong thing is that the 1965 Immigration Act was passed. Repeal that, remove the regulations from it, and tell the lobbying organizations that complain to EABOD.

By showing a preference for more despotic countries and locales over US citizens, businesses show a hate for freedom for anyone else that isnt one of them. They made the choice to use these countries instead of hiring in a more free US.

We need IT unions now and better training

[Joe_Dragon]

We need IT unions now and better training Not more high cost schools that give you skill gaps.

Re: H1B working as intended.

[St.Creed]

The market for talent is a global one, you should be grateful companies decide to stay in the US, where they pay taxes, instead of moving operations elsewhere, as many have done.

Western salaries have been historically too high, a global economy will correct this, wether one likes it or not

Funny. Whenever CEO's tell us the market for talent is a global one, they mean that they should get paid more, or else they leave. Whenever it's about us, it somehow means we have to make do with less, or else they kick us out.

As a freelancer, I've found that it's exactly the opposite: I get hired for jobs in other countries because the market for workers is global. But CEO's are CEO because they are tied into the political superstructure of a country. Once they leave, they usually find that their whole network is gone and that is most of their value.