Canon unit to give back pay to applicants denied jobs

Jet, Sept 5, 1994

Canon Business Machines Inc., of Costa Mesa, CA, will pay as much as $633,735 in back wages to 32 applicants denied employment there because of their race or gender.

A review by the Labor Department that began in 1993 found a pattern of bias in Canon's hiring.

The review revealed that during the time period in question, Canon had 1,732 job applicants, 100 of whom were Black. Of the 96 people hired, none were Black.

An agreement with the Labor Dept. requires Canon to pay each qualified applicant wages he or she would have earned minus whatever salary applicants have earned since applying to Canon. The 30 qualified Blacks who applied for jobs at the company will get payments up to more than $30,000; half will receive job offers.