Multi-million dollar tech firm Electronics for Imaging (EFI) has been caught up in a major breach of US-based minimum wage laws. The company, a multinational, public corporation, based out of Fremont, California, has been flying in workers from India, who were then paid a non-living wage of $1.21 per hour. Making matters worse, the company forced workers to put in 120 hours per week, with very few breaks, and no time off.
The company was paying workers approximately the same minimum wage they would earn in India.
In a laughable moment that shocked many people, the company said, “We unintentionally overlooked laws that require even foreign employees to be paid based on local US standards.”
EFI’s vice president of HR Shared Services, Beverly Rubin, said the issue was an “administrative error.” She also claimed that, “During this assignment, they continued to be paid their regular pay in India, as well as a special bonus for their efforts on this project.”
Speaking to NBC News, Alberto Raymond, an assistant district director with the US Department of Labor said, “It is certainly outrageous and unacceptable for employers here in Silicon Valley to bring workers and pay less than the minimum wage.”
EFI posted $200 million in revenue in its last financial quarter and the company is publicly traded on the NASDAQ exchange. The company specialized in computer peripherals such as printers.
The eight employees who were working for slave wages will be paid $40,000 in owed wages for their work installing computer systems at the company’s headquarters.
The company’s CEO Guy Gecht in comparison earns millions of dollars per year and I highly doubt he is being forced into 122-hour work weeks.
As for the huge corporation, EFI was fined a shockingly low $3,500 for what nearly amounts to importing slave labor to install their computer systems.