Two female Apple employees have filed a proposed class-action lawsuit alleging the company pays women lower salaries than men for similar work.
The suit, submitted in a San Francisco state court, challenges Apple’s hiring and performance-review practices.
It claims they contribute to gender pay disparities.
This lawsuit is the latest in a series of pay equity claims against major corporations.
The action includes several tech giants, who are accused of underpaying women and minorities.
The lawsuit aims to represent a class of 12,000 women employed at Apple across various departments since 2020.
The plaintiffs claim Apple violates California’s equal pay, employment, and unfair business practice laws.
Notably, the business practice law limits claims to four years.
An Apple spokesperson said the company has maintained gender pay equity since 2017.
They added the tech giant works with an independent third-party expert to review total compensation and make necessary adjustments.
Similar cases have been settled in California recently.
Google agreed to pay $118 million to 15,500 women in 2022.
Oracle settled for $25 million for 4,000 female workers earlier this year.
Neither company admitted wrongdoing.
One of the lead attorneys in those cases represents the plaintiffs against Apple.
The lawsuit highlights how Apple determines new hire compensation.
The plaintiffs claim Apple violates California’s equal pay, employment, and unfair business practice laws
Before 2018, Apple asked applicants to provide their previous salaries to set pay.
After California passed a 2018 law banning the use of prior pay for setting compensation, Apple switched to asking applicants about pay expectations.
The plaintiffs’ lawyers argue this practice perpetuates gender discrimination, as women have historically been paid less than men.
James Finberg, one of the plaintiffs’ attorneys, said: “If you do pay women less, you can’t defend it by saying they were willing to take less money.”
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One plaintiff, Justina Jong, discovered a male co-worker’s W2 left on a printer, revealing he earned $10,000 more despite having the same responsibilities.
Jong joined Apple in 2013, receiving the same base salary as her previous job.
Over the years, she did not receive raises that matched her male peers’ salaries.
Inspired by other women’s stories of pay inequality at Apple, she decided to join the lawsuit.
During the COVID-19, employee activism at Apple increased, leading to the formation of the “Apple Too” group, mirroring the #MeToo movement.
This group gathered stories of discrimination and pushed for changes in pay practices, leading some retail stores to form unions.
The other named plaintiff, Amina Salgado, has worked at the company since 2012 in various roles, including as a manager in the AppleCare division.
She complained several times after discovering she was paid less than men in similar roles.
Following an investigation by a third party, Apple increased her pay but did not provide back pay.
The lawsuit also claims that Apple’s performance review system is biased.
Men receive higher ratings in discretionary categories like leadership and teamwork, resulting in better reviews for men.
A spokesman said: “At Apple we are deeply committed to inclusion and we have a longstanding commitment to pay equity, which is embedded in our approach to compensating our valued team members.”
