Cognizant’s H-1B Visa Abuse - Non-Indians Targeted
According to a US district court, cognizant Technology Solutions discriminated against its non-Indian employees. This ruling resulted from a class-action complaint that workers filed over 10 years ago, alleging they were subjected to discriminatory treatment because of their country and color. According to the lawsuit, cognizant gave preference to indian and South Asian employees over others. A few non-Indian workers said they were let go after being placed "on the bench," which meant they had no projects to work on but were compensated in anticipation of being given one.
The court determined that cognizant purposefully discriminated against these non-Indian and non-South Asian workers, particularly in relation to layoffs. The court decided to give the impacted parties damages as a result of this activity. Additionally, cognizant was accused of abusing the H-1B visa program, which permits US businesses to employ highly qualified foreign workers, in the case. Most of these visas are granted to citizens of India.
The plaintiffs contended that Cognizant's recruiting, promotion, and termination policies had an adverse effect on non-Indian national workers. The court concurred, ruling that these actions were not required for corporate operations and had nothing to do with employment qualifications. It is noteworthy that from 2013 to 2019, cognizant ranked first among US employers for H-1B visas.
The plaintiffs contended that Cognizant's recruiting, promotion, and termination policies had an adverse effect on non-Indian national workers. The court concurred, ruling that these actions were not required for corporate operations and had nothing to do with employment qualifications. It is noteworthy that from 2013 to 2019, cognizant ranked first among US employers for H-1B visas.