Workers in Texas are protected under federal law from gender discrimination at their jobs. Despite these protections, some companies still treat people differently on the basis of their sex. One company that has faced repeated allegations of gender discrimination is Walmart. In early November, a new group of women filed a lawsuit against the company for gender discrimination.
According to the complaint that was filed in federal court, the plaintiffs allege that they were not paid as much as their male coworkers and were denied opportunities for advancement. The case is the progeny of the class action that was filed against Walmart in 2001. In that case, the U.S. Supreme Court found several years later that the class should not have been certified because it as nationwide.
The seven lead plaintiffs in the current action were also plaintiffs in the earlier case. In order to comply with the new guidelines for class certification, the proposed class are workers in the southeastern part of the U.S. The allegations in the case are among the more than 2,000 complaints that have been filed against Walmart with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission since 2011, when the original action was dismissed by the Supreme Court.
While gender discrimination is illegal, it still occurs with regularity in workplaces across the U.S. People who believe that they have been the victims of workplace discrimination might want to consult with experienced employment law attorneys who may advise people about whether or not they appear to have valid claims. If they do, the attorneys may assist them with gathering the needed evidence and filing the complaints with the EEOC. If their clients are given leave to sue by the agency, they may then file actions in court.
Source: Bloomberg, “Wal-Mart female employees try again for sex-bias class action“, Jordyn Holman, Nov. 7, 2017