Latest news with #hiringpractices
Fox News
6 days ago
- Business
- Fox News
Chicago alderman slams mayor's hiring practices as 'giant leap in the wrong direction' amid DOJ probe
Print Close By Adam Sabes Published May 29, 2025 A Chicago alderman says the city is taking a "giant leap in the wrong direction" after the Department of Justice announced it is investigating Mayor Brandon Johnson's hiring practices. During a May 18 service at the Apostolic Church of God, Johnson responded to people who claimed he only talked about hiring Black people. "No, what I'm saying is, when you hire our people, we always look out for everybody else. We are the most generous people on the planet," he said. "I'm laying that out because when you ask, 'How do we ensure that our people get a chance to grow their business,' having people in my administration that will look out for the interests of everyone, and everyone means you have to look out for the interests of Black folks." Johnson mentioned top officials who serve in his administration and emphasized their race. One example included his deputy mayor of business and economic development, a Black woman. DOJ LAUNCHES INVESTIGATION INTO BLUE STATE CITY OVER ALLEGED RACE-BASED HIRING After his remarks, Harmeet K. Dhillon, the assistant attorney general for the Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division, notified Johnson his administration is being investigated to see if it utilizes discriminatory hiring practices. Read the letter here "Considering these remarks, I have authorized an investigation to determine whether the City of Chicago is engaged in a pattern or practice of discrimination as set forth above. If these kind of hiring decisions are being made for top-level positions in your administration, then it begs the question whether such decisions are also being made for lower-level positions," Dhillon said. Chicago Alderman Raymond Lopez told Fox News Digital he's glad the DOJ is looking into the Johnson administration's hiring practices, saying he thinks many Chicagoans have the same concern. CHICAGO'S MAYOR JOHNSON IS SO FOCUSED ON RACE HE CAN'T SEE THE TRUTH ABOUT HUMANITY "I am glad that they are looking into it. I think it validates the concerns that many Chicagoans have had that Brandon Johnson is a mayor, not for the entire city, but for only one demographic," Lopez said. "There are tens of thousands of individuals who work for the city of Chicago who feel as though they have been left out of promotions, left out of advancement or even left out from being hired as a whole even on the front line. And I think that needs to be looked into by the Department of Justice." Lopez said he thinks the city is taking steps in the wrong direction in the way it hires. "This is just one sad step backwards for the City of Chicago to have the mayor articulate so passionately that he prefers to hire one ethnic demographic at the expense of all others. It doesn't make sense to me how, in the 21st century, we've done so much to try to move beyond seeing each other just solely based on race, that we are now taking a giant leap in the wrong direction," he said. The alderman said there are Black Chicago residents he talks to who disagree with Johnson when it comes to hiring decisions. "Let me be 100%, 110% clear on this note. There are African Americans who don't like that statement either. There are many well-qualified leaders of departments who put blood, sweat and tears into lifting up Chicago, who now have been trivialized by his comments and are viewed through a lens of they're just here because they're Black," Lopez added. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP In comments made after the DOJ launched its investigation, Johnson said it came from a place of fear. "You can tell when someone is fearful is because they act out," Johnson said. "We have a president that is screaming and having tantrums right now because we have an administration that reflects the city of Chicago, but he would much rather have administrations that reflect the country club. Period." Fox News Digital reached out to Johnson for comment. Fox News' Greg Wehner contributed to this report. Print Close URL
Independent Singapore
22-05-2025
- Business
- Independent Singapore
"Too fat cannot, too skinny cannot" - Cafe owner sparks outrage for asking job applicant to submit full-body photo
SINGAPORE: A cafe owner has ignited a firestorm of criticism online after requesting a full-body photo from a job applicant to assess their appearance. The request was exposed by TikToker @justwanttofindajob in a video published on Tuesday (20 May). The TikToker included screenshots of a WhatsApp exchange between them and the employer in the video. What began as a routine enquiry quickly became uncomfortable when the employer requested the applicant to send 'your recent photo showing your full height.' Puzzled, the applicant responded politely, 'Just wondering, may I ask what the full-body photo is needed for? I'd be happy to send one if it's relevant for the role.' Instead of clarifying the professional need, the employer responded with two voice messages that left many viewers stunned. 'This is a job interview, job interview we need to see photo,' the employer said in one message. In the next, he elaborated further: 'I tell you why: too fat cannot, too skinny cannot, too ugly cannot, too pretty also cannot. So we have to see, okay?' See also Bloody fight outside Parklane Shopping Mall He maintained that the photo request was '100 per cent relevant,' asserting that 'every interviewer will want to see your photo.' The applicant ultimately blocked the number, according to the TikTok post. The video quickly gained traction, drawing sharp criticism from viewers over what many see as an inappropriate and discriminatory hiring practice. 'That's a red flag right there,' wrote one commenter. Another quipped, 'Sounds like chikopek,' using the Hokkien term often used to describe a lecherous man. While some acknowledged that appearance might play a role in customer-facing positions, they expressed discomfort with the employer's blunt explanation. 'I understand the full-length photo if it's for a customer-facing job,' one viewer wrote. 'But the way he phrased it just weirds me out.' In Singapore, while some service industry employers request headshots for roles where grooming and presentation are key, asking for full-body photos—especially with such reasoning—raises ethical and possibly legal concerns. Under the Tripartite Guidelines on Fair Employment Practices, employers are advised to assess candidates based on merit and relevant qualifications, and to avoid discriminatory hiring practices. The identity of the café was not disclosed in the video, but the incident has renewed debate about what constitutes acceptable hiring criteria and how jobseekers can protect themselves from questionable practices.
Washington Post
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Washington Post
Justice Department investigates Chicago's hiring practices after mayor touts Black hires
The U.S. Department of Justice has opened a civil rights investigation into hiring practices at the city of Chicago, according to a letter shared on social media and sent to the Chicago mayor's office. The probes announcement Monday came a day after Mayor Brandon Johnson spoke at a Chicago church to outline his vision for the remainder of his term. During the speech, Johnson praised the number of Black people in top positions in his administration. The speech garnered immediate attention on social media, including calls from conservatives and others to investigate.
CBS News
20-05-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson to address DOJ lawsuit on hiring practices, provides racial breakdown of staff
Mayor Brandon Johnson will publicly address a lawsuit filed by the U.S. Department of Justice Monday looking into the City of Chicago's hiring practices. Mayor Johnson will answer questions from the media at 10 a.m. Tuesday. The Justice Department said it is specifically investigating the number of Black men and women who serve in Johnson's administration, which he spoke about at an event at a church in Woodlawn Sunday. "The deputy mayor is a Black woman. The Department of Finance Development is a Black woman," Johnson told parishioners. "When you ask, how do we ensure that our people get a chance to grow their businesses, having people in my administration that will look out for the interest of everyone, and everyone means you have to look out for the interests of Black folks." The DOJ cited that moment in a letter, saying if those hiring decisions are being made for top-level positions, "it begs the question whether such decisions are also being made for lower-level positions." But experts say political appointments do not fall under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, which is the statute cited by the Justice Department in their letter opening the investigation. Political appointments, experts said, would also not be covered by employment discrimination law. "They would not be employees under Title VII, so even if it were true that he was going out of his way to hire people of a particular race, that would not violate the law," said Carolyn Shapiro, professor law at University of Chicago Kent College of Law. Johnson's team sent CBS News Chicago a breakdown of the racial makeup of his 105 member staff. According to his office, 34% of employees are Black, 30% are white, 23% are Hispanic, 7% are Asian and 5% are two or more ethnicities.
Telegraph
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Chicago mayor investigated after suggesting he prefers to hire black staff
Chicago's mayor is under investigation after suggesting he prefers to hire black staff. The Department of Justice (DOJ) on Monday opened an investigation into mayor Brandon Johnson over remarks he made at church suggesting he selects officials in his administration based on their race. Speaking at a service at the Apostolic Church of God on the city's South Side on Sunday, Mr Johnson told worshippers that 'when you hire our people, we always look out for everybody else'. Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon has written to Mr Johnson saying she has 'authorised an investigation' into whether Chicago is 'engaged in a pattern or practice of racial discrimination'. Mr Johnson was addressing claims from critics that all he talked about 'is the hiring of black people', given that the deputy mayor, the chief operations officer, the budget director and others in his administration are all African-Americans. He said: 'When you ask how do we ensure that our people get a chance to grow their business, having people in my administration that will look out for the interests of everyone, and everyone means you have to look out for the interests of black folks, because that hasn't happened. That's how we ensure long-term sustainable growth.' The mayor also criticised the Trump administration's attempts to 'wipe us out of history'. 'Black folks will be here in this city and in cities across America, protecting this democracy, protecting humanity, because that's what black people have always done,' he said. Ms Dhillon wrote: 'If these kind of hiring decisions are being made for top-level positions in your administration, then it begs the question whether such decisions are also being made for lower-level positions.' The investigation comes amid moves by the Trump administration to align the Justice Department with its efforts to crack down on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) practices. Shortly after returning to the White House, Donald Trump signed an executive order to end what he called 'discriminatory and illegal' DEI programmes in government agencies in favour of merit-based appointments. He has also ordered investigations into companies that make use of DEI hiring practices. Mr Johnson has frequently clashed with Mr Trump, calling the president a 'threat' to black families and defying his efforts to deport undocumented migrants by pledging to uphold Chicago's status as a sanctuary city. In February, the DOJ filed a lawsuit against Chicago accusing it of 'deliberately impeding' immigration officers' abilities to detain illegal migrants.
