Firm Settles H1-B Discrimination Case

The Justice Department reached a settlement with Epik Solutions, doing business as Epikso, after determining the company unlawfully excluded U.S. citizens and other work-authorized individuals from job opportunities by favoring H-1B visa holders in its recruiting practices.

According to the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division, Epikso violated the anti-discrimination provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act by posting job advertisements that explicitly restricted positions to foreign workers holding specific visa types—without legal justification. The Department found reasonable cause to believe that Epikso engaged in a pattern of citizenship status discrimination, unlawfully denying employment opportunities to qualified U.S. workers.

The case is part of a redirection of Justice resources through the Protecting U.S. Workers Initiative to enforce the law against companies that unlawfully discriminate against American workers in favor of foreign visa workers.   Although the company denies wrongdoing, it agreed to settle the case by paying $71,916 in civil penalties and submitting to compliance measures, including:

• Ceasing discriminatory job advertising and recruitment practices.
• Overhauling hiring policies to prohibit unlawful citizenship-based exclusions.
• Training all staff involved in recruiting and hiring on federal anti-discrimination laws.
• Posting worker rights notices in English and Spanish at job sites and online platforms.

Epik Solutions (branded Epikso) is a privately held global information‑technology and consulting firm founded in 2015, with headquarters in Pleasant Hill, California. The firm maintains offices globally, including locations in California, New York, Chicago, Dallas, Gurgaon and Noida (India), Vancouver, Sydney, and several cities in Mexico.