Business News Legal Media

Vice Media faces class action lawsuit over gender pay gap

By | Published on Thursday 15 February 2018

Vice

Vice Media is facing a class action lawsuit in the US accusing the company of routinely paying women less than men for doing the same jobs. The legal action has been brought against the company by a former project manager, Elizabeth Rose.

In the lawsuit, Rose claims that she hired a new male employee to work under her, who she later discovered was earning more than she was. He was then promoted above her and became her supervisor. She says that she was told by a senior member of staff that he had been chosen for the promotion because he was more suited to liaise with male clients at Live Nation.

She goes on to say that she discovered an internal memo, listing the salaries of 35 employees. This, she claims, showed the extent to which women “made far less than male employees for the same or substantially similar work”.

The lawsuit proposes three classes that women employed by Vice Media in the last six years would be eligible to join. This could total up to 700 current and former employees of the company.

The lawsuit seeks damages, adjusted wages to bring pay in line with male counterparts, and an end to discriminatory pay policies.

In a statement, a spokesperson for Vice said: “We have just been made aware of the complaint and are reviewing it. As a company, we have made a significant commitment to a respectful, inclusive and equal workplace. That commitment includes a pay parity audit started last year, a goal of 50/50 female/male representation at every level by 2020, and the formation of a Diversity & Inclusion Advisory Board”.

The company is already dealing with sexual harassment allegations against senior staff members, which emerged in a New York Times article last year. Last month, it was announced that Chief Digital Officer Mike Germano would not be returning to work, having been placed on leave after being named in that article. Although he denies that his departure is related to those allegations.



READ MORE ABOUT: