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Article

29 May 2017

Author:
Sam Levin, Guardian (UK)

USA: Google argues it is “too financially burdensome” to hand over salary records in gender discrimination lawsuit over alleged pay disparity filed by govt.

"Accused of underpaying women, Google says it's too expensive to get wage data", 26 May 2017

Google argued that it was too financially burdensome and logistically challenging to compile and hand over salary records that the government has requested, sparking a strong rebuke from the US Department of Labor (DoL), which has accused the Silicon Valley firm of underpaying women…

Noting Google’s nearly $28bn annual income as one of the most profitable companies in the US, DoL attorney Ian Eliasoph scoffed at the company’s defense, saying, “Google would be able to absorb the cost as easy as a dry kitchen sponge could absorb a single drop of water.”…

The current court battle stems from the DoL’s lawsuit filed against Google in January, accusing the company of violating federal laws by refusing to provide salary history and contact information of employees as part of a government audit. As a federal contractor, Google is required to comply with equal opportunity laws and allow investigators to review records…

Google has vehemently denied the claims that it underpays women, claiming that it has closed its gender pay gap globally and that in the US it provides equal pay across races. Google has also argued that the DoL’s data request would violate the privacy of employees…