Google will pay 118 million dollars as a result of agreement reached to end a lawsuit joint due to gender discrimination in which some 15,500 women are represented. In addition to paying that amount, the company will have to assess its hiring practices, which will be done by an independent expert. Another external expert, an economist specialized in the labor field, will examine Google’s equal pay studies, as they point out in a statement.
The agreement, yes, is not yet final, because it has to be approved by a judge. This will take place during a hearing to be held on June 21, and in which the judge will decide whether to give the green light to the agreement or not. If passed, it would end five years of litigation.
It will be supervised by an entity in charge of monitoring agreements for the next three years. It will be this body, in the event that the judge approves the agreement, that determines how much money will be paid to each member of the class action lawsuit, the 15,500 women represented by it, who meet the necessary requirements for it.
The lawsuit began to advance in 2017, when three women filed a lawsuit accusing Google of underpaying its female employees than male employees, which violates the California Equal Pay Act.
In the lawsuit, the three cited a difference in salaries of about $17,000, in addition to alleging that Google pigeonholes women into lesser career paths, leading to lower pay and lower bonuses compared to their peers. fellow men. The three plaintiffs managed to get the lawsuit class-action status last year.
The way in which Google treats its employees has been under suspicion and surveillance more than once, with numerous lawsuits filed, even for age discrimination. Especially women. Google last year agreed to pay $2.5 million to end a lawsuit that alleged the company underpaid female engineers and neglected Asian job applicants. The California Department of Fair Labor and Housing (DFEH) is also investigating Google for complaints of alleged harassment and discrimination against black female workers.
