Department of Labor Accuses Google of Underpaying Women

Silicon Valley continues to be a tough career area for women in technology. Although we would like to think technology giants like Google are closing the gender pay gap, the facts show a different scenario. The Department of Labor has accused Google of paying women in technology less than their male counterparts, forcing the company to turn over information on pay.

Prove it!

Google claims to practice equal pay. They do have women in top positions at Google's parent company, Alphabet, and at Google's Internet-related business, YouTube. However, when digging deeper, women in positions in the middle and lower ranks do not fare as well when it comes to equal pay.

Since 2015, women have been coming forward to file complaints about discrimination in pay as well as sexual harassment in the workplace. A survey done in 2015 called “Elephant in the Valley” revealed that three-fifths of women in Silicon Valley have been the victims of sexual harassment, two-thirds feel excluded from key networking events, and more than 25 percent of women in engineering, technology and science feel their careers are not moving forward.

Although Google has denied any allegations of underpaying women, the Department of Labor initiated a lawsuit and intends to get to the bottom of the facts. The truth will be revealed in pay records that Google has been forced to provide to the DOL.

Silicon Valley under scrutiny

Google is not the only tech company that has come under fire. Software firm Salesforce and networking company Cisco were both previously found to have gender pay disparities. Both companies have since allocated millions of dollars to correct the wage gap problem.

Read more at www.economist.com/news/business/21720672-allegation-inflames-debate-about-sexism-silicon-valley-google-accused-underpaying