Apple is in the news and this time around not more the anticipated iPhone launch that is due on September but a lawsuit that accuses that the company has been underpaying women compared to men for similar roles over the past four years.
Gender Pay Inequality at Apple
As per the lawsuit, as many as 12,000 current and former female employees in California have been impacted by the alleged wage gap, which could potentially translate to an amount going in millions of dollars when it comes to lost wages.
The plaintiffs behind the lawsuit are Apple’s two long-time employees, Justina Jong and Amina Salgado. They alleged that between 2020 and 2024, the women that worked in its engineering, marketing, and AppleCare divisions, were systematically paid less by Apple than their male counterparts.
Justina Jong, who currently working as a customer/technical training instructor, discovered the pay disparity when she stumbled upon a colleague’s W-2 form showing he earned nearly $10,000 more annually despite performing similar duties which left her deeply disturbed and unsettled.
On the other hand, Amina Salgado, who held various roles within the AppleCare division, had been aware of the wage disparity for years. She had complained the same within Apple and post the internal investigations, it was confirmed that there indeed was a discrepancy. However, no corrective measure was taken to rectify the same.
Allegations of Gender Discrimination and Hostility
The lawyer representing the plaintiffs, Eve Cervantez criticized the company’s practices, arguing that once women are hired at a lower pay rate, subsequent raises and bonuses are insufficient to close the gender pay gap because they are based on a percentage of the initial salary.
Not just this, but the lawsuit also claims that the Apple’s performance evaluation system favours men, rewarding them for qualities such as leadership and teamwork that allegedly penalize women.
The lawsuit does not end here, since the same entails the details instances of alleged workplace hostility towards women, which include sexual harassment complaints that were reportedly mishandled by Apple.
Jong recounted how she experienced emotional distress and mental health issues due to the company’s response to her harassment complaint.
Notably, there has been no comment yet by the tech giant.
The plaintiffs, on the other hand, are seeking intervention from the California Superior Court in San Francisco, arguing that Apple’s alleged discriminatory practices violate state laws and the federal Equal Pay Act. If the plaintiffs win, it would mean Apple paying substantial sums in back wages and damages to affected women.
As per the plaintiffs, unlike the claim by Apple, which poses to promote gender diversity and prevent discrimination, the company’s internal policies and culture continue to perpetuate an unfair and hostile work environment for women.
