DOJ says Accenture considered race, sex to meet non-public workforce goals
The Justice Department announced Monday that consulting firm Accenture will pay $25 million to resolve allegations that the firm failed to comply with federal anti-discrimination requirements, the Wall Street Journal reported.
The DOJ alleged that Accenture considered race or sex when making hiring decisions to achieve progress toward non-public workforce composition goals. Business leaders at the firm received monthly summaries of specific percentages of each race and sex within the unit, according to the department.
The figures in those reports were highlighted in green, yellow, or red to indicate whether representation met Accenture’s internal goals. The department alleged that those reports drove changes in hiring practices based on race or sex.
The DOJ also alleged that Accenture considered race or sex when making promotion decisions.
The department further alleged that the firm offered certain training and mentoring programs where eligibility was limited by race or sex.
Reporting was by Katherine Hamilton of the Wall Street Journal.