News Notes: Employers Sued By Testers For Hiring Discrimination

Undercover testers-individuals who apply for jobs solely to scope out hiring bias-continue to cause trouble for some employers. The owner of five San Francisco McDonald’s franchises is the latest lawsuit target. Several African-American job seekers were allegedly told that no positions were available or were told to apply in a “ghetto” neighborhood. Others were flatly refused interviews. An attorney for the applicants sent several nonblack testers to apply for jobs. They say they received very different treatment, and one claims to have been hired on the spot. A Chicago company faces a similar dispute. A civil rights organization sent white and black testers to apply for a receptionist position with Watertower Surgicenter Corp. The African-Americans claim they were turned away, while the white job seekers were welcomed and ultimately given job offers.