Google has agreed to pay a settlement of $118 million to 15,500 underpaid female employees who have been with Google in California since 2013. The lawsuit alleges that "Google paid women, on average, approximately $16,794 less per year than similarly situated men, in base pay, bonus, and stock."
Plaintiffs in the gender discrimination suit accused Google of violating the California Equal Pay Act and other state laws. In the past, Google officials have argued that acquiring wage data would have been too expensive at an estimated amount of 500 hours of labor and $100,000 in order to comply with investigators, according to The Guardian. Despite Google denying underpaying female staff and claiming they have eliminated unequal pay, Janette Wipper, DoL regional director, testified in court, “We found systemic compensation disparities against women pretty much across the entire workforce,”
Surveys have consistently shown that women in Silicon Valley are frequently paid less than men in similar positions.
Plaintiff Holly Pease, a former Google employee of 10.5 years in various technical leadership roles shared, "As a woman who's spent her entire career in the tech industry, I'm optimistic that the actions Google has agreed to take as part of this settlement will ensure more equity for women,".
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