Google has agreed to a $28 million (£21.5 million) settlement in a lawsuit alleging that white and Asian employees received better pay and career advancement opportunities compared to workers from other ethnic backgrounds, according to a law firm representing the claimants.
The tech giant confirmed it had “reached a resolution” but denied the allegations.
The lawsuit, filed in 2021 by former employee Ana Cantu, claimed that Hispanic, Latino, Native American, and other minority employees started with lower salaries and positions than their white and Asian peers.
Judge Charles Adams of the Santa Clara County Superior Court in California has granted preliminary approval for the settlement.
Cantu’s case relied on a leaked internal document indicating that employees from certain ethnic backgrounds reported lower compensation for similar roles.
According to Cantu’s legal team, basing starting pay and job level on previous salaries perpetuated historical disparities linked to race and ethnicity.
The class action lawsuit covers at least 6,632 individuals employed by Google from February 15, 2018, to December 31, 2024, as reported by Reuters.
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Cathy Coble, one of the attorneys representing the claimants, commended the “bravery of both diverse and ally Googlers who self-reported their pay and leaked that data to the media.”
“Such suspected pay inequity can easily be hidden without collective action from employees,” Coble noted.
Google has denied any discrimination against its employees. A spokesperson stated, “We reached a resolution but continue to disagree with the allegations of differential treatment. We remain committed to fair pay and hiring practices for all employees.”
Earlier this year, Google joined a trend among U.S. companies, including Meta, Amazon, and McDonald’s, in rolling back commitments to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in their hiring policies, amid ongoing criticism from former President Donald Trump and his allies regarding DEI initiatives.
SOURCE: BBC
