Cognizant’s Non-Indian Employees Harmed by H-1B Visa Approach

Cognizant Technology Solutions Corp. employees showed that the information technology company’s reliance on employees with H-1B visas had a disparate impact that unlawfully harmed non-Indian and non-South Indian employees, a California federal district court said.

The four class action plaintiffs demonstrated that Cognizant’s practices violated the Civil Rights Act because non-visa holding employees lost job opportunities at a rate “that was significantly disproportionate to their representation” among Cognizant employees, Chief Judge Dolly M. Gee of the US District Court for the Central District of California said in a Dec. 5 findings of fact and conclusion of law.

Disparate impact claims ...