Google face major law suit after more than 60 employees claim they have been discriminated against.
The Guardian reported yesterday that over 60 current and past employees of Google are contemplating bringing a class-action law suit against google on the grounds of sexism and pay disparities against women.
James Finberg, who is a civil rights attorney, has hinted he may be representing the female employees of google. He reported to the Guardian “they contend they have earned less than men at Google despite equal qualifications and comparable positions.”
He claims that many others have had difficulties attempting to move up the ladder at Google due to a “culture that is hostile to women”.
This comes after a male software engineer leaked a 10-page manifesto naming and shaming the company’s diversity initiatives and suggested that male employees may occupy more leadership roles than female employee’s due to “biological differences”.
Finberg reported to the Guardian that he had interviewed more than half of the 60 women and their testimony’s all determined evidence of disparity and prejudice against women of the Mountain View company.
He said: “They are concerned that women are channeled to levels and positions that pay less than men with similar education and experience”. Despite them working in similar roles with the same qualifications, some women claimed, “they made less than male counterparts in salaries, bonuses and stock options.”
A spokesperson for Google told the Guardian, “there are always going to be differences in salary based on location, role and performance, but the process is blind to gender”.
Finberg further declared to the Guardian, a class-action case could result in other employee’s in the technology industry coming forward with similar complaints.
“Google is not alone in Silicon Valley. The goal of the case is not only to get Google to change its practices, but to encourage other Silicon Valley companies to change their pay practices as well.” He said.
What is gender pay- gap reporting?
As per ACAS guidelines, gender pay reporting is “legislation that requires employers with 250 or more employees to publish statutory calculations every year showing how large the pay gap is between their male and female employees”.
It is important to note, gender pay gap reporting is different to equal pay. Equal pay is concerned with the pay differences between male and female employees in the workplace, who carry out the same or similar role. It is deemed as unlawful should you fail to pay someone equally on the basis of gender.
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