3 women hit Google with lawsuit for unfair pay

imagine not being paid what your coworker makes just because you’re female and he’s male. You’d be insulted, frustrated and upset. You’d also have the right to pursue a lawsuit against the company responsible for the ill treatment you’ve faced.

That happened in this case. According to the story, the women involved have hit Google with a gender-bias lawsuit after claiming that they’re paid a significant amount less than their male counterparts for similar work. Three women filed a claim in the San Francisco County Superior Court after stating that Google had violated California’s Equal Pay Act and state labor laws. They believe that the company pays lower wages to women despite doing the same jobs as their male coworkers.

They also claim that Google promotes fewer women, and if and when the company does, it’s more slowly than males. Google has denied the claims, stating that it disagrees with the main allegations in the case. Previously, Google has faced similar legal trouble. The Labor Department’s regional director had testified in court that the company had systematic compensation disparities across most of its workforce when it came to women’s pay.

When the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Program analyzed the company, it found six to seven deviations between the payments made to men versus women. This was across almost every job classification in 2015. That is a shock, because only two standard deviations is significant, let along six or seven.

In cases like this, a company found guilty of mistreating employees could face fines and have to pay reparations. If you’re in a situation where you’re unfairly treated and discriminated against, you can also seek legal help.

Source: Courthouse News Service, “Women Hit Google With Gender-Bias Suit,” Matthew Renda, Sep. 14, 2017