Google has agreed to pay $28 million to settle a lawsuit. The lawsuit claimed that white and Asian employees at Google were paid more and had better job opportunities than employees from other ethnic backgrounds. This was said by a law firm representing the employees who made the claim. Google confirmed that they had come to an agreement but denied the allegations.
The lawsuit was filed by a former employee named Ana Cantu in 2021. She said that Hispanic, Latino, Native American, and other employees started at lower salaries and job levels compared to white and Asian employees. The settlement has been approved by a judge in California.
The case relied on a leaked document from inside Google that showed some ethnic groups were paid less. Some lawyers said that past salaries were used to determine starting pay, which continued historical inequalities.
Google denies any discrimination and says they treat all employees fairly. Recently, some US companies, including Google, have stepped back from diversity and inclusion programs. This move comes as President Donald Trump has criticized these initiatives and ordered their removal.
Vocabulary List:
- Settlement /ˈsɛt(ə)lmənt/ (noun): An official agreement intended to resolve a dispute.
- Allegations /ˌæl.əˈɡeɪ.ʃənz/ (noun): Claims or assertions that someone has done something illegal or wrong.
- Discrimination /dɪsˌkrɪmɪˈneɪʃən/ (noun): The unjust or prejudicial treatment of different categories of people.
- Ethnic /ˈɛθ.nɪk/ (adjective): Relating to a population subgroup with a common national or cultural tradition.
- Opportunities /ˌɑːpərˈtjunɪtiz/ (noun): Favorable circumstances to do something.
- Inequalities /ˌɪnɪˈkwɑːlɪtiz/ (noun): Differences that result in unequal treatment or conditions.
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