These days, tech giant Google Inc. seems to be inviting lawsuits and problems left and right. The company has just found itself in a new fix, this time over an alleged payment disparity between different genders.
Females Receiving Smaller Pay?
As many as 10,800 members of the female workforce at Google have filed a lawsuit against the company, claiming that men receive a higher pay han women working the same job. The company was unable to convince a San Fransisco state judge against certifying the class action, resulting in the women’s case being represented by four plaintiffs.
Accusing Google of violating the Equal Pay Act in California, the women are demanding $600 million in damages. They are being represented by Kelly Dermody, backed the order, adding that it was high time that companies realise that paying their female employees equitably is much better than “spending money on fighting litigations”. She further said that she now expects the case to go into trial by 2022.
Google Cries Equitable Pay
Google has defended its stance, saying that it has been conducting constant analysis for the past eight years, to ensure equitable distribution of salaries, bonuses, and equity awards. It further added that should any disparity ever arise, the company takes quick action to make “upward adjustments” before new compensations come into effect.
The women have alleged that female employees receive an average of $16,794 less than ‘similar suited men’ on a yearly basis, citing a study carried out by the University of California. They also claimed to receive much smaller bonuses, as well as smaller stocks, as compared to men performing similar jobs.
Similar efforts have been made by female employees at other organizations as well. Last year, women at Oracle Inc. manged to win a similar lawsuit, but females at Twitter and Walmart were not as lucky.