Hewlett-Packard Co. agreed to pay $750,000 in back wages and interest to settle allegations of hiring discrimination, The US Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs announced. The action affects 504 qualified applicants whom the company rejected for inside sales representative positions at its Conway, Ark., location.

An OFCCP investigation concluded that HP discriminated against qualified minorities who applied for inside sales representative positions between December 2008 and August 2010. The applicants included 349 African Americans, one American Indian/Alaskan Native, 109 Asians, 44 Hispanics and one Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander.

HP denies liability in the conciliation agreement with OFCCP, but will pay back wages and interest to the affected class members. The company also agreed to place 33 of the applicants into inside sales representative positions, with retroactive seniority for the new hires, as positions become available. HP will also undertake extensive measures to ensure that its personnel practices, including record keeping, comply with the law.

“This settlement reflects a mutual commitment between the US Labor Department and Hewlett-Packard to ensure that all workers have a fair shot at competing for good jobs,” said OFCCP Director Patricia Shiu. “Where hiring practices are barriers to equal opportunity, federal contractors have an obligation to break down those barriers and reform the process.”