Google underpaying men than women for similar jobs (Reports).
Google conducted an internal investigation into gender-based wage discrimination amongst its employees and they found that they had been unfairly compensating their male employees compared to their female employees.
According to a report by the New York Times, the tech giant realized during its investigation into the wages of female and minority employees that its male employees were being paid less than female employees for similar work.
In response to the findings, Google dolled out an additional $9.7 million in wages to make up for the difference in pay for the 10,677 employees impacted by the wage disparity, averaging around $908 per employee, though it isn’t clear that all of those pay raises went to male employees.
Despite the study’s findings, Google still believes it must work harder to provide opportunities for female employees, claiming that, although women were being paid more at Google, they were not offered as many opportunities. According to the Times, 69 percent of the employees for Google are men.
This internal investigation was prompted by a Labor Department investigation into Google. The department claimed that female employees were having “systematically compensation disparities” that benefitted men over women.
In a blog post, Google’s lead analyst for pay equity Lauren Barbato wrote:
“We know that’s only part of the story. Because leveling, performance ratings, and promotion impact pay, this year, we are undertaking a comprehensive review of these processes to make sure the outcomes are fair and equitable for all employees.”
When this investigation was launched, Google denied that it had a gender pay gap. Still, the investigation brewed a potential class-action lawsuit that could be filed on behalf of all of Google’s nearly 8,300 female employees.
Barbato noted that the company was surprised to find their internal investigation showed a pay gap that negatively impacted male employees, calling it a “surprising trend that we didn’t expect.”
Many on social media found this to be a shocking find, as well. Several people took to Twitter to mock Google for the investigation’s findings.
