Instacart Pays $5 Million to Settle U.S. Worker Discrimination Claims
Maplebear Inc. will pay $5 million to resolve federal allegations that it created unlawful application barriers to favor temporary visa holders over American workers.
The U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission secured a $5 million settlement with Maplebear Inc., the operator of Instacart, to resolve allegations that the company discriminated against American workers. Federal investigators alleged that between December 2023 and February 2026, the company abused the Permanent Labor Certification (PERM) process by requiring U.S. applicants to physically mail applications while allowing other candidates to apply electronically.
Under the terms of the agreement, the company will establish a $4 million compensation fund for affected applicants and pay $1 million in civil penalties. Instacart must also update its policies to accept electronic applications for PERM roles, post these positions on its public careers website, and undergo outside monitoring and personnel training on anti-discrimination obligations.
This resolution is the 15th settlement reached by the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division since January 2025 as part of the Protecting U.S. Workers Initiative and the EEOC's Project Firewall. Maplebear Inc. maintained that its practices complied with all applicable laws and regulations but agreed to the settlement to focus on its business operations.
