Lawsuit Against Google Says It Discriminates Against Women

A lawsuit filed against Google  alleges that the company systematically segregates women into employment tiers which pay them less and deny opportunities for them to advance. It was filed on behalf of all women employees of the company, There were three plaintiffs who shared how they were being discriminated against.

Denied promotion for 'lack of technical ability'

Holly Pease said that she was hired to oversee 50 software engineers and and product managers in 2005. Soon, she saw that the male engineers and senior manager she oversaw were placed in a more highly compensated career track.

She said that she used to coach non-technical employees in how to transition to technical jobs. But when she tried to transition, her male interviewers did not ask her any relevant questions and did not even bother to take note. She says that Google justified denying her a promotion as it claimed that she lacked technical ability.

Males in same position hired at higher salary

Kelly Ellis was hired in a Level 3 position, which is for new college graduates. But she saw that a few weeks later, the company hired a male college graduate in a Level 4 position with a higher salary. She saw men who were less qualified than her advance, while she did not get promotions.

The third plaintiff also said that she had been put in a lower paying career track.

The US Department of Labor has accused Google of extreme pay discrimination, earlier this year. The NYT also published an internal Google spreadsheet that shows how women with the same job are paid less than men

Google has publicly insisted that it has eliminated its gender pay gap. It has disputed the lawsuit’s claims, saying that it has systems in place to ensure that it pays fairly.

The civil rights attorney who has filed the suit, James Finberg, says that more than 90 women have contacted him about the class action.

Also Read: Google Employee Who Promoted Gender Bias Fired