DHL, a company specializing in transportation and logistics, has reached an agreement to resolve a lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission regarding racial discrimination. The settlement amounts to $8.7 million and will be distributed among 83 Black employees who experienced discrimination based on their race. As part of the settlement terms, DHL will be under the supervision of former EEOC Commissioner Leslie Silverman to ensure adherence to the agreed-upon measures.
“In this case, the EEOC made no claim that Black workers were paid less than others or denied promotions,” Gregory Gochanour, regional attorney for the EEOC’s Chicago District Office, said in the announcement. “However, segregating employees and giving them unequal work assignments based on their race is just as unlawful. Such practices should not occur in any workplace. We are confident that the measures put in place by the consent decree will ensure that DHL’s employees are treated equally going forward.”
The legal case, initiated in September 2010 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, contends that DHL engaged in discriminatory practices. Allegedly, the company directed Black employees to undertake tougher and riskier routes compared to their white counterparts. Moreover, the lawsuit claims that DHL tended to assign Black drivers to routes primarily in Black communities while reserving predominantly white neighborhoods for white drivers.
“Black employees often witnessed crime and sometimes were victims of crime on their assigned routes,” the EEOC said in its announcement.
Additionally, the announcement highlights that Black employees were often tasked with handling bulky and weighty parcels, while their white counterparts were assigned the comparatively lighter duty of sorting letters. Under the terms of the consent decree, DHL is obligated to conduct comprehensive training sessions for its staff regarding federal laws against racial discrimination. Furthermore, the company must regularly furnish reports to Leslie Silverman concerning work allocations and any grievances related to racial discrimination. Silverman’s oversight of DHL’s practices will persist for a duration of four years.
