OpenAI to Pay $3.2 Million to Settle DOJ's Employee Discrimination Claims

By Katherine Hamilton

OpenAI will pay $3.2 million to settle claims by the Justice Department that it discriminated against U.S. workers when advertising jobs through its immigration sponsorship program.

The DOJ's civil rights division alleged that OpenAI and its subsidiary Statsig discriminated by choosing workers with temporary employment visas over others.

When advertising positions it sought to fill through its Permanent Labor Certification program, OpenAI allegedly didn't post on its external job website and required applicants to mail paper applications for jobs listed as part of the program, the DOJ said.

The government claims these steps discouraged U.S. workers from applying. The Permanent Labor Certification program allows employers to sponsor workers for permanent resident status.

OpenAI disagreed with the DOJ's findings, but reached a settlement to resolve the matter, a company spokesman said. The Permanent Labor Certification program is critical for employees and candidates requiring immigration support, he said.

There were fewer than 10 positions through the Permanent Labor Certification program at issue, the DOJ said.

"The resolution amount reflects the harm to U.S. workers when they are shut out of applying for lucrative technology jobs," the department said.

OpenAI will pay $1.2 million in civil penalties to the U.S. and establish a back-pay fund of $2 million to compensate victims of the alleged discriminatory practices.

The company also will post new jobs that are part of the Permanent Labor Certification program on its public career website and accept electronic applications. It must revise its employment policies and train personnel in anti-discrimination requirements.

Write to Katherine Hamilton at katherine.hamilton@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

August 04, 2026 13:08 ET (17:08 GMT)