OpenAI Pays $3.2 Million to Settle U.S. Worker Discrimination Claims

OpenAI agreed to a $3.2 million settlement on Tuesday to resolve allegations from the U.S. Justice Department that the company discriminated against U.S. workers in favor of temporary visa holders. The federal government alleged that between June 2023 and April 2025, the company violated the Immigration and Nationality Act by discouraging U.S. applicants during the Permanent Labor Certification process.

Federal authorities claimed the company used tactics to deter domestic applicants, such as requiring paper applications by mail for certain roles while allowing electronic submissions for others, and advertising positions on late-night radio. While OpenAI denied the allegations, the company will pay a $1.2 million civil penalty and allocate $2 million for back pay to affected workers.

As part of the agreement, the company must revise its recruitment policies, post Permanent Labor Certification roles on its public careers site, and submit to Justice Department monitoring. Harmeet Dhillon, the Assistant Attorney General and head of the Justice Department’s civil rights division, stated that the settlement ensures the company redresses harm and changes its recruitment practices.