California residents may be interested to learn that three women filed a lawsuit against Uber in San Francisco Superior Court on Oct. 24. The suit claims that the company engaged in discrimination related to both race and gender. It specifically states that female engineers and those of color are not paid the same or promoted as often as engineers who are male, white or Asian.
One of the claims made in the lawsuit was that women make 18 percent less than males for doing the same work while women of color may be paid even less. Their attorney said that the goal of the suit was to make sure that women and minorities get paid the same as others for the same work. Two of the plaintiffs had stopped working with the company while another has stayed on. Uber had not made any statement regarding the lawsuit.
Those who experience disparate treatment because of their race, gender or other protected attributes may be dealing with violations of employment law. As a general rule, neither gender nor race can play a role in how much a person is paid. Furthermore, those and other attributes generally cannot play a role in whether or not a person is promoted or otherwise given opportunities to advance at work.
Anyone who believes that they may be a victim of workplace discrimination may have legal recourse. An attorney may be able to review a case and determine what the best step to take may be. In some cases, a resolution may be possible by engaging in private settlement talks. However, it may also be necessary to go to court to pursue compensation for back pay or other damages depending on the circumstances in the case.
