Honda Aircraft Company Must Pay Civil Penalty Over Hiring Practices

Honda Aircraft Company has been forced to pay a nearly $45,000 civil penalty to the U.S. Department of Justice. It's over a claim that the company refused to hire some non-U.S. citizens who were authorized to work.

The International Traffic in Arms Regulations limit access to certain sensitive company information to only U.S. citizens, nationals or lawful permanent residents. The concern is over aerospace technologies that could potentially be used for military purposes. But Triad Business Journal's Luke Bollinger says the rules do not mean companies like Honda Aircraft can only hire U.S. citizens.

"It's just what kind of information they are allowed to have access to," says Bollinger. "So, I think it was a misunderstanding of that law where you could see that they posted some job openings that unlawfully required applicants to have specific citizenship status, so I think that's where the misunderstanding came in."

The 25 errant job postings occurred between August 2015 and December 2016. A written statement from Honda Aircraft provided to WFDD states that the company has proactively changed policies and procedures to ensure job postings comply, and remains dedicated to equal employment opportunity.