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Hundreds of women are suing Walmart over gender discrimination. Many of these accusations are from the 1990’s and 2000’s, but the lawsuit alleges that the discrimination still occurs today.
This is not the first time Walmart has been accused of gender discrimination. A class-action lawsuit filed by Betty Dukes in 2001 alleged that she and other female Walmart employees were frequently passed over for promotions and raises in favor of less qualified men. The case made it to the Supreme Court in 2011, but was dismissed.
The new lawsuit claims many of the same issues that plagued Walmart in the 2001 case are still happening today. Women allege that they are passed over for raises and promotions and are given reasons such as they are busy raising a family, they’re pregnant, or they cannot do the same heavy-lifting job as a man could.
The female employees state that they’re often relegated to lower paying positions and even when they are given a higher position, often times they’re paid less than the male employees that they supervise. Additionally, they’re often passed over for promotions in favor of male co-workers who have much less experience than they do.
The women also allege that they’re strategically placed in positions such as cashier and retail and the men are hired into high-sales areas where there’s a clearer path to management positions. The lawsuit also argues that the women are not informed about or given access to the same training programs as the male employees.
The women in the lawsuit plan to sue Walmart for damages, but they also looking to hold the world’s largest employer (they employ 1.5 million in the U.S.) accountable for the systematic discrimination.
Walmart has however implemented some new systems in 2004, such as a new payment and promotions system, a higher minimum wage, and a diversity pledge. Unfortunately, as the lawsuit alleges, Walmart has dragged its feet when it was come to addressing gender discrimination in their workplace.
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