Springdale-based Tyson Foods Inc. has agreed to pay $1.6 million to more than 5,700 applicants denied jobs in three states, including Arkansas, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.
The department found that the company’s hiring process and selection procedures at six facilities violated a federal order prohibiting discrimination based on sex, race or ethnicity, a news release states.
Those 5,716 applicants who sought jobs from 2007 to 2010 at facilities in Rogers and Russellville as well as plants in Houston; Sherman, Texas; Amarillo, Texas; and Santa Theresa, N.M.; will receive back wages, interest and benefits.
According to the department, Tyson has also agreed to extend employment offers to 474 of the affected prospective workers as the positions become available. The Arkansas-based company will also revise its hiring and training practices, the release states.