The gender pay gap has made headlines with advocates requesting equal pay for equal work. The Walt Disney Company recently received unwanted publicity when the corporation was named a defendant in a class action lawsuit filed by two of its female workers. The lawsuit alleges that the Walt Disney Company consistently paid female employees less than male employees when the female employees performed the same tasks as their male counterparts. If found guilty of these charges, the Walt Disney Company would be in violation of California’s state laws governing equal pay act.
Lack of Equal Pay for Equal Work
In the lawsuit, the plaintiffs alleged that the Walt Disney Company did not stay proactive or consistent when distributing pay based on responsibilities rather than by gender assignments. Both plaintiffs worked for the giant corporation for many years and had similar problems related to the pay they were offered.
One of the plaintiffs, a manager, told her employer in 2017 that she was not making the same amount that male employees with similar titles did. She alleged that she made around $40,000 less than her male employees in the same position. Although representatives of the Walt Disney Company determined at the time that her concerns held no merits, they gave her a $25,000 pay increase at the end of 2018 as a salary adjustment.
However, the adjustment still left her with a lower pay amount than her male coworkers. The other plaintiff in the lawsuit alleged that she was dissuaded from becoming a managerial candidate. The suit claimed that the male candidate that was chosen for the position now earns significantly more than the plaintiff, even though they perform the same work.
Leveling the Playing Field
This lawsuit points to a broader issue. Female employees are no longer sitting back and accepting a pay gap imbalance. Instead, they are turning to employment lawyers to help them receive fair and equitable treatment. On a positive note, many companies, such as Salesforce and Apple, agreed to re-evaluate their salaries and ensure all pay grades are distributed based on work, not gender.
Bucks County Employment Lawyers at The Gold Law Firm P.C. Represent Clients Experiencing Gender Discrimination in the Workplace
Employees who believe they are experiencing pay issues based on their genders deserve fair and equitable treatment on the job. If you experienced gender discrimination, the Bucks County employment lawyers at The Gold Law Firm P.C. can help. Call us at 215-569-1999 or contact us online to arrange a free initial consultation. Located in Philadelphia, we serve clients from Bucks County, Chester County, Delaware County, and Montgomery County.
