Google antes up USD 2.6M to settle pay, job discrimination case
PTI, Feb 2, 2021, 10:21 AM IST
Source: Unsplash
San Ramon: Google will pay USD 2.6 million to more than 5,500 employees and past job applicants to resolve allegations that the internet giant discriminated against female engineers and Asians in California and Washington state.
The settlement announced Monday closes a 4-year-old case that the Labour Department brought as part its periodic reviews of the pay practices at federal government contractors such as Google.
That inquiry resulted in accusations that during a period spanning from 2014 to 2017, Google paid female engineers less than men in similar positions. The pay discrepancies were cited in several Google offices in its home state of California, as well as at locations in Seattle and Kirkland, Washington.
Google had fiercely contested the allegations as unfounded before reaching the settlement without acknowledging any wrongdoing.
“We believe everyone should be paid based upon the work they do, not who they are, and invest heavily to make our hiring and compensation processes fair and unbiased,” Google said Monday. The Mountain View, California, company also said it has conducted internal audits during the past years to address any inequities in the pay of its male and female employees.
Nevertheless, the settlement will require Google to pay USD 1.35 million to more than 2,500 of its female engineers to compensate them for past discrimination alleged by the Labour Department.
Another USD 1.23 million is earmarked for more than 1,700 women and Asians who unsuccessfully applied for engineering jobs at Google.
The settlement also requires Google to contribute USD 250,000 annually for five years to create a reserve to cover any necessary adjustments still needed in the future.
“Regardless of how complex or the size of the workforce, we remain committed to enforcing equal opportunity laws to ensure non-discrimination and equity in the workforce,” said Jane Suhr, who oversees the Labour Department’s federal contract compliance programs in San Francisco.
The settlement will barely put at dent in Google or its corporate parent Alphabet Inc., which generates more than USD 130 billion in annual revenue.
But news of settlement may further blemish Google’s once-cherished reputation as an employer that pampers its workers to the point of spoiling them with cushy paychecks, free food and other plush perks.
In recent years, more of Google’s own employees have been openly blasting management’s practices, including allegations of coddling powerful male executives who harassed female employees. More recently, thousands of Google employees have protested the December departure of an artificial intelligence researcher who says she was fired over a research paper that didn’t sit well with the company.
The growing unrest inside Google culminated in hundreds of employees forming a labour union in last month, a rarity in the tech industry
Udayavani is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel and stay updated with the latest news.
Top News
Related Articles More
FPIs make remarkable comeback; infuse Rs 2 lakh cr in equities in FY24
PM cautions ‘significant risk of misuse’ of AI and other powerful tech in unskilled, untrained hands
RBI announces MPC schedule for FY25, first rates decision on April 5
Seven out of ten Indian shoppers say they would happily receive product deliveries without additional packaging
Renault Nissan to launch four new products, expand product portfolio
MUST WATCH
Latest Additions
BJP files EC complaint against Siddaramaiah’s son over abusive language against Modi, Shah
Dogs may be helpful in ‘sniffing’ PTSD episode onset in human companions, study finds
BJP misusing agencies to subvert democracy, belittle Constitution: Kharge
Fresh I-T notices to Cong: Party to hold nationwide protests over weekend against ‘tax terrorism’
Rahul, Kharge, Pawar, Akhilesh among INDIA bloc leaders to join AAP rally at Ramleela ground