issues

Pay Equity

Pay equity is one of the most important social justice issues in America today. But as large as it looms, the warning signs of wage discrimination are often well-hidden.

Working hand in hand with our clients, we’ve held many of the country’s largest employers accountable to the law, while securing more than $320 million for workers.

 

Unequal Pay Isn’t Always Obvious

Sometimes wage inequality starts the moment you’re hired. For example, women and people of color often begin in lower job levels than their white male peers, even when they’re equally or more qualified to do the job.

While not always apparent, that initial leveling decision can have long-term consequences. It affects your base pay, your bonuses, and your chances of being promoted, while others move ahead more quickly.

Pay discrimination can also show up as higher wages, better commission structures, or preferred assignments for certain employees. It can also appear, subtly or obviously, in the way your employer conducts performance evaluations or spot reviews of your work.

How Pay Disparity Strikes

It’s no secret that employers, on average, pay women and people of color less money for equal work.

Some companies assign job titles in ways that result in men being paid more for the same work. Others might ask what you earned in a previous job or what your salary expectation is, which can be against the law and perpetuate past inequities.

Pay equity issues often persist because companies rely on systems that seem neutral but produce biased results. As a result, performance reviews, promotion criteria, and compensation formulas can quietly disadvantage certain groups, especially in the age of artificial intelligence and digital discrimination.

We’re Here to Help

Pay equity discrimination is pervasive across industries, but it’s particularly acute in finance and technology.

As a leader in fighting for fair pay, we’ve litigated many of the largest and most notable pay equity cases against U.S. finance and tech giants, including Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs, Merrill Lynch, Mastercard, Uber, Amazon, and Google.

Our clients include individuals seeking justice and fair pay for themselves, and employees who seek systematic change and greater wage equality for their colleagues, and workers at large.

If you believe you’re being paid unfairly, we’re ready to help you understand your rights and take action.

Framing the Issue

  • Even though federal and state laws say you should be paid equally for equal work, the reality often falls short. In 2024, women earned 85 cents for every dollar men earned, according to the Pew Research Center.
  • The pay gap is even wider for most women of color. Black women earn just 66 cents for every dollar a white man makes. For Latina workers, it’s just 58 cents. The disparity can limit your paycheck, your career, and your future.
  • For Black workers, the racial pay gap begins as young as 16. That disparity has lifelong consequences as it sets individuals on an earnings track that lasts for decades.
  • You might not see it at first, but pay discrimination can occur in how you’re leveled, evaluated, or steered into lower-paying roles. Even the mentoring you receive can make a difference if helps you access lucrative clients.

Notable Matters

  • Secured $10 million for female, Latino, Black, and American Indian software engineers who were paid less than their peers at Uber.  
  • Negotiated a $26 million settlement for 7,500 female, Black, and Hispanic Mastercard employees, who accused the company of underpaying them. 
  • Secured a $215 million settlement for 2,800 women at Goldman Sachs who claimed the company’s pay, evaluation, and promotion policies were biased toward men.  
  • Secured a $3.7 million settlement for five female faculty members of Syracuse University, who challenged the university’s compensation and promotion practices. 
  • Won a $1.15 million trial victory for a Google Cloud executive who was subject to discrimination and retaliation. 
  • Recovered $20 million for women at Google employees who alleged they were paid, leveled, promoted and evaluated less favorably than their male counterparts. 
  • Obtained a $1.2 million settlement on behalf of a woman with equal pay claims against a large global bank. 
  • Represented the lead plaintiff in a landmark $54 million settlement with Morgan Stanley, which resolved claims made by female employees who had been passed over for raises and promotion. 

Has this happened

to you?

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/
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Have you been passed over for a promotion, despite a strong track record of success?

If you haven’t been paid fairly, we’re ready to stand up for your rights.

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