EY, Microsoft on Biden Labor Agency’s First Anti-Bias Audit List

Ernst & Young LLP, Microsoft Corp., and General Electric are among the hundreds of federal contractors facing U.S. Labor Department audits for workplace anti-discrimination compliance, as part of randomly scheduled reviews of companies who do business with the government.

The DOL’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs released on Thursday its first scheduling list under the Biden administration. Agency allegations of hiring, pay, or other job discrimination stemming from these audits can lead to million-dollar settlements and, in some cases, high-stakes litigation.

The OFCCP, for example, was locked in years-long litigation with Oracle America Inc. and JPMorgan Chase & Co. over alleged pay bias against women. Oracle defeated the agency’s allegations last year, while JPMorgan agreed to pay $800,000 in back wages and allocate $9 million over five years for compensation adjustments to settle the lawsuit.

Bloomberg LP, the parent company of Bloomberg Law, also appeared on the audit list for its Washington, D.C., location. Other media companies scheduled for audit include Thomson Reuters Corp. and Cox Enterprises.

Major accounting firmsKPMG, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, and Deloitte LLP are also on the list, as well as several airlines including Delta Air Lines Inc. and American Airlines. Hewlett Packard, T-Mobile, Verizon, and Boeing will also be audited.