NEW DELHI: Thousands of skilled migrants employed by HCL Technologies appeared to have been underpaid by atleast $95 billion, according to a recent report by Economic Policy Institute (EPI).
HCL Tehnologies, the Noida-based IT services firm, places H-1B workers at top US-based corporations.
The H-1B visas is the temporary work permit programme used by Indian companies to recruit and send thousands of workers to America.
According to EPI, a non-profit American think tank, HCL is saving at least $95 million per year by illegally underpaying its H-1B employees. That's $95 million in stolen wages from H-1B workers every year. This has been described as "white collar wage theft on a grand sale facilitated by negligent labor standards enforcement in the H-1B program.
According to the Mint, the report further stated that data from the company's internal document suggests the firm underpays H-1B workers in virtually all jobs across all business lines.
However, the Mint quoted a company spokesperson as saying that HCL Technologies is strictly compliant with all relevant rules and regulations and is committed to paying wages to all employees in accordance with applicable laws.
Meanwhile, The Economic Times reported that new immigration in the United States has called for more stringent norms in the H-1B visa programme used by companies to address gaps in high-skill labour.
The American Tech Workforce Act of 2021, proposed in the US House of Representatives, calls to end the Optional Practical Training (OPT) program as it mostly benefits big tech companies by providing tax breaks and allowing them to hire workers at a lower cost, the report said.