61% of temp agencies “have adopted problematic behavior”, according to SOS Racisme

This study is published by SOS Racisme, recalls France Inter while the Senate examines on Tuesday a bill aimed at generalizing testing to fight against this discrimination, particularly in employment.

Temp agencies continue to discriminate against candidates based on their origins. According to a study by SOS Racisme, which France Inter revealed on Tuesday March 12, “61% of temp agencies tested adopted problematic behavior”while the Senate examines on Tuesday a bill aimed at generalizing testing to combat this discrimination, particularly in employment and access to housing.

The association carried out an initial test three years ago which revealed that nearly one in two temporary employment agencies did not comply with the law. Temporary professionals then promised actions to reduce the scourge of discrimination. But three years later, SOS Racisme notes that things are progressing only very slowly.

According to the association’s study, in 14% of cases, “spontaneously, the person on the other end of the line will say, yes, no problem, we’ll make a pre-selection for you”according to Alice Murgier, the legal manager of SOS Racisme. “That is a prohibited practice.” During the testing carried out, the responses were different: to the request to have people of European type, “pretty white people”the association was told that it was possible, “the goal is to do business”.

Agencies “will show a form of complacency in discrimination”

Some agencies are more virtuous than others. The now known practice of testing changes certain behaviors. But for the president of SOS Racisme, Dominique Sopo, things are more devious: “A large part of the temp agencies will refuse to practice discrimination themselves, because they are very aware that all this is totally illegal and that it would implicate them.” He claims that agencies “will show a form of complacency in discrimination by saying, make the selection yourself to the customer”.

According to the SOS Racisme study, a third of the agencies tested agree to work with a client who announces that he will sort the CVs himself.