New York-listed consultancy Accenture has agreed to pay the US government $25m (£18.5m) to settle allegations concerning its diversity practices. The Department of Justice (DOJ) alleged that Accenture violated federal anti-discrimination requirements while certifying compliance to secure federal contracts.
The US government claimed the Dublin-headquartered firm allocated costs related to these hiring and promotion practices directly to its federal government contracts for reimbursement. It was also alleged that Accenture used race- and sex-based hiring quotas to influence hiring decisions and targeted specific demographics for senior roles, including managing director promotions.
Accenture denies all allegations of wrongdoing. The firm signed a 10-page settlement with the government, agreeing to pay $25m and interest at a rate of 4 per cent per annum, which includes $11.627m in restitution. The agreement states that Accenture did not admit liability.
This settlement follows a similar agreement last month by Deloitte, which paid the US government $21.5m over allegations it violated federal 'equal opportunity' requirements in its contracts.