Despite the rising publicity and awareness about sexual harassment, some of the most prominent companies in California may still be guilty of gender discrimination. One group of female former employees at Nike, the athletic wear company, have filed a lawsuit alleging that the corporation systematically discriminated against women on the job through a hostile work environment. The suit, filed in August 2018, argues that the company discriminated against women in terms of employment conditions, promotions and pay, among other issues.
The women are seeking class-action status for their case and argue that female employees at Nike were passed over for promotions. They also say that performance reviews were tougher on women than men, leading to lower bonuses and salaries. Furthermore, the plaintiffs charge that when women raised their concern to the company’s human resources department, their complaints were dismissed, neglected or ignored. Allegations of workplace discrimination at the company came into the spotlight when a group of women presented Nike’s CEO with the results of a survey on discrimination.
Following the March 2018 results, the company announced that its president would retire in August. It also fired at least 11 of its executives, admitted that it had failed in promoting women adequately and declared that 7,000 employees would receive a raise. The raises followed an internal review of pay practices for signs of gender discrimination. However, the women suing the company say that they lost significant opportunities in the interim for additional pay and career advancement.
Gender discrimination and sexual harassment continue to pose signifiant problems for many women workers. People who have lost out on pay, promotions or other opportunities due to workplace discrimination can consult with an employment attorney. A lawyer can help workers to seek justice for these unfair and unlawful practices.