Wal-Mart Sex Bias Class Action Goes Forward
A federal appeals court has ordered Wal-Mart Stores Inc. to face a class action lawsuit that accuses the company of engaging in a pattern of discrimination against female employees in terms of pay rates and promotions. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit upheld a lower court's finding that a class action was appropriate for the case, which could affect as many as 1.5 million current and former female Wal-Mart employees. In its opinion, the Ninth Circuit states that evidence in the case shows "significant proof of a corporate policy of discrimination" against female employees.
With headquarters in Bentonville, Arkansas, Wal-Mart Stores Inc. currently employees about 1.3 million workers in over 3,400 stores nationwide, making it the world's largest private employer.
- Read an Associated Press Article on the Decision (via FindLaw)
- See the Full Text of the Opinion (PDF file)
- Employee Rights: Discrimination and Harassment (FindLaw)