A group of American techies has accused TCS (Tata Consultancy Services) of terminating their employment on short notice and replacing many of their positions with workers from India on H-1B visas.
According to a report by the Wall Street Journal, the American workers have alleged that TCS engaged in illegal discrimination based on race and age, terminating their employment and transferring some of their responsibilities to lower-paid Indian immigrants holding temporary work visas.
Since late December, at least 22 workers have filed complaints with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) against TCS, alleging preferential treatment towards individuals on H-1B visas. The EEOC is responsible for enforcing federal laws that prohibit discrimination against job applicants or employees based on race, color, religion, sex, age, disability, or genetic information.
In response to inquiries regarding allegations of discrimination against American professionals, a spokesperson for TCS said, "Allegations that TCS engages in unlawful discrimination are meritless and misleading. TCS has a strong track record of being an equal opportunity employer in the US, embodying the highest levels of integrity and values in our operations."
The Wall Street Journal report highlights that while layoffs affecting workers with more seniority are common, the American professionals claim that TCS violated the law by targeting them based on protected characteristics such as age and race. They argue that the company's actions demonstrated preferential treatment towards Indian workers in the US holding coveted H-1B visas.
Another frequently raised accusation is that Indian firms exploit the H-1B visa process to bring workers of Indian descent to the US instead of hiring local talent. However, data indicates an increase in US hiring among most IT companies as part of efforts to navigate visa challenges. In 2018, TCS successfully defended itself against employment discrimination allegations when a court in California acquitted the company of charges of bias toward Indian employees over US residents.
