There is a California Department of Civil Rights revealed Snap Inc. has agreed to pay $15 million to settle a lawsuit filed by Snap Inc. alleging “discrimination, harassment and retaliation against women at the company.” California’s civil rights agency began investigating the company behind Snapchat three years ago over allegations of discrimination and retaliation against female employees. The agency accused the company of failing to ensure equal pay for female employees despite a period of rapid growth between 2015 and 2022.
It is claimed that women, especially those in engineering roles, are reluctant to apply for promotions and lose them to their less qualified male counterparts. The agency said they also had to endure unwanted sexual advances and face retaliation when they spoke out. Female employees were given negative performance reviews, denied opportunities, and eventually fired.
“In California, we are proud of the work of our state’s innovators, who are the driving force behind our state’s economy,” CRD Director Kevin Kish said in a statement. “We’re also proud of the strength of our state’s civil rights laws, which help ensure that every employee is protected from discrimination and has the opportunity to thrive. This agreement with Snapchat demonstrates our shared commitment to California, where all workers have a fair chance. The American Dream has women in every job, they have the right to equality in every workplace and every industry.
Snapchat denies the company has a problem with pay inequality and gender discrimination. in a comment sent to Politics and Bloomberg, says it decided to settle only because of the cost and impact of protracted litigation. “At Snap, we take our commitment to a fair and inclusive environment very seriously, and we do not believe we have a problem of systemic pay equity, discrimination, harassment or retaliation against women. As a result of the lawsuits and analysis by the California Department of Civil Rights, we believe the cost of protracted litigation and “We have considered the impact, the scope of CRD’s other settlements, and have decided that it is in the best interest of the company to resolve these claims and focus on the future,” the company explained.
Under the terms of the settlement, which must still be approved by a judge, $14.5 million of the total will go to women who worked at Snap Inc. in California between 2014 and 2024. -The party controls its compliance with sexual harassment, retaliation and discrimination.
The California Department of Civil Rights was also that agency Activision sued Blizzard in 2021 and accused the company of fostering a “frat boy” culture that encouraged widespread misogyny and sexual harassment. The agency also found that women in the company were overlooked for promotions and were paid less than their male counterparts. He settled with the video game developer for $54 million in late 2023, though he had to walk back allegations of widespread sexual harassment at the company.
