A female executive at Spotify is suing the music streaming company for discriminating against employees of the opposite gender. Hong Perez’s accusations include systematic discrimination against female employees and sexual harassment. The sales executive also claims that the Swedish company is paying women less than their male counterparts.
The suit was filed in the New York Supreme Court, which alleges defamation, gender discrimination, sexual harassment and issues with pay gaps. Perez also mentioned that she was fired for violating the company’s Code of Conduct after taking the blame for a male coworker’s mistakes.
Recognizing and challenging gender discrimination
Gender discrimination can take a few forms, such as:
- Sexual harassment: Includes unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, offensive remarks about gender and verbal harassment
- Discrimination: Includes layoffs, firing, hiring, training, or promoting based on gender
- Lack of equal pay: Pay gaps or disparities between men and women, often for the same roles and positions
While those listed above violate the law, many women are afraid to come forward in fear workplace retaliation or losing their job. However, women who are suffering from such injustices are protected under employment law. There are legal options for effectively moving forward.
Oftentimes, it is up to female employees to recognize bias and gender discrimination. However, both men and women can be victims. If you have a gut-feeling that you or another employee are experiencing a hostile work environment, it might be beneficial to learn about employment rights and seek legal counsel.
