New York City-based NYC Health + Hospitals has agreed a settlement with the Justice Department to resolve an alleged violation of the anti-discrimination provision of the Immigration and Nationality Act when it rejected a worker's valid work authorization document based on the worker's national origin.
An investigation determined that the health system unlawfully rejected a worker's valid employment authorization document, which was automatically extended through a notice in the Federal Register applicable to those with temporary protected status, according to the Justice Department.
The department determined that NYC Health + Hospitals rejected the valid document and delayed the onboarding of the worker based on its incorrect assumption that the worker's country of birth listed on her employment authorization document had to be the same as the country designated for temporary protected status.
Under the terms of the agreement, the health system will pay back pay to the affected worker to compensate for lost wages that the department determined the worker was eligible for due to the discrimination, according to the Justice Department.
NYC Health + Hospitals will also pay a civil penalty to the U.S, train its staff on the anti-discrimination provision of the Immigration and Nationality Act, review and revise its employment policies and training materials and be subject to departmental monitoring for three years.
Financial details of the settlement were not disclosed.
NYC Health + Hospitals did not respond to Becker's request for comment.