Google To Fork Out $118 Million For Allegedly Underpaying Thousands Of Women

Google has officially reached an agreement to pay US$118 million to settle a class-action lawsuit that accused the technology giant of underpaying its female employees, with over 15,500 staff members in 236 job titles involved in the matter.

In addition to the monetary compensation, the company has agreed for a third-party expert to look into its hiring practices and pay equity structure, to help ensure that going forward, women in the firm are not paid less than their male counterparts “who perform substantially similar work.” 

As part of the gender discrimination lawsuit, the plaintiffs alleged Google had violated the California Equal Pay Act, and that the corporation had paid women “approximately US$16,794 less per year than similarly situated men, in base pay, bonus, and stock.” 

Lead plaintiff Kelly Ellis will receive a US$75,000 payout, while the other three named plaintiffs will accept US$50,000 each. The remaining women will then obtain an average of US$5,500 each from the settlement, excluding attorneys’ fees.

“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,” said plaintiff Holly Pease, who had worked at the firm for over 10 years.

Noting that Google has always been at the forefront of the industry, Pease believes this is an opportunity for the firm to “lead the charge to ensure inclusion and equity for women” in the space. 

Hopefully, going forward, this settlement will serve as a reminder for the male-dominated technology industry to strive for greater equality and place the same value on hard work regardless of gender.

[via Ars Technica and Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein LLP, cover image via Toxawww | Dreamstime.com]