Los Angeles, CA, Dec. 5, 2025 — A federal court issued and order today holding that Cognizant Technology Solutions engaged in a pattern or practice of discrimination through its use of policies that had a disparate impact on employees on the basis of race or national origin. Specifically, Chief District Judge Dolly Gee of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California held that: “Cognizant’s ‘Visa Readiness,’ ‘Visa Utilization,’ and related policies and practices had a disparate impact on non-South Asian and/or non-Indian employees, resulting in the disparate termination of non-South Asian and/or non-Indian employees from the bench during the Class Period of December 15, 2016 to October 27, 2022.”
Through Cognizant’s “Visa Readiness” policy, Cognizant applies for a significant number of H1-B visas based on projected growth and future needs to create a pool of “travel ready” employees to fill U.S. roles in the future even when those positions do not exist at the time of Cognizant’s H-1B visa applications. Cognizant has several related “visa utilization” policies to maximize utilization of Cognizant’s pool of “travel ready” visa workers.
The plaintiff class consists of non-South Asian and non-Indian employees who were terminated from the bench while employed by Cognizant in certain mid-level positions (job bands 33-65, except 53) between September 18, 2013 and October 27, 2022. Class members can continue to contact K&L with questions regarding the remedial phase of the case at classcounsel@kotchen.com.”
A jury previously held that Cognizant engaged in a pattern-or-practice of intentional discrimination against non-South Asians and non-Indians. See https://kotchen.com/jury-finds-cognizant-engaged-in-pattern-or-practice-of-discrimination/
The case caption is Palmer v. Cognizant Technology Solutions Corp., No. 17-6848-DMG (C.D. Cal.).
News coverage: Bloomberg Law