Eagan Company Will Pay $90K For Refusing To Hire Women: MN DHR

EAGAN, MN—Eagan-based Villaume Industries has entered into a settlement with the Minnesota Department of Human Rights over its policy of not hiring women, the department announced Monday in a news release.

Villaume Industries is a manufacturer of wood products, according to the company's website. The company builds wooden trusses and produces custom wood crating, boxes and pallets.

“Refusing to hire women is blatant gender discrimination. It’s akin to posting a sign that says: women need not apply here,” Minnesota Department of Human Rights Commissioner Rebecca Lucero said in a statement. “This settlement agreement helps bring attention to how women continue to face both explicit and implicit discrimination in the workplace. As the state’s civil rights enforcement agency, we are committed to ensuring every woman can live with dignity and joy, free from discrimination.”

The investigation into Villaume began in November 2019 after the human rights department said the company refused to accept women candidates from an employment placement agency as part of a separate investigation. The settlement ends the ongoing investigation.

As part of the settlement, Villaume Industries will be required to:

• Recruit and hire women
• Change their recruitment materials to state that the company welcomes and employs women
• Establish relationships with organizations that help employers recruit women
• Provide anti-bias, cultural humility, and welcoming workplace training to all employees
• Create, implement, and maintain anti-discrimination policies for their workplace that comply with the Minnesota Human Rights Act
• Pay $90,000 as a civil penalty and settlement monitoring cost, as well as a donation to an organization that supports the advancement of women in the workplace

Patch left a message with a representative of Villaume Industries, asking for comment on the settlement.