On November 4, 2013, the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) announced a $265,983 settlement with G&K Services Co. to resolve allegations discrimination against both female employees and male applicants.
The news release can be found at: http://www.dol.gov/opa/media/press/ofccp/OFCCP20131725.htm.
Following a Compliance Review, the OFCCP alleged that qualified female employees were assigned to “light duty” jobs that paid less than the “heavy duty” jobs reserved for men. This practice of assigning men to “heavy duty” jobs also resulted in hiring discrimination against men as they were prevented from competing for open positions that were considered “light duty”. A settlement was reached with G&K Services Co. that included a payment of $265,983 in back wages to the class of 59 female who were steered into lower paying jobs, along with job offers to all 59 women for the higher paying “heavy duty” positions. G&K Services Co. has also agreed to pay $23,968 to 331 male applicants who were prevented from competing for the “light duty” jobs, along with making three job offers. As part of the conciliation agreement, G&K Services Co. will implement extensive self-monitoring measures and revise their hiring and pay practices.
The OFCCP is beginning to pursue more investigations focusing on the employee selection process to help reveal alleged pay discrimination resulting from the placement or “steering” of hires into particular positions based on race and/or gender. The G&K Services Co. settlement is an example of steering hires to particular jobs based on sex, which resulted in lower pay for females working “light duty” jobs and men being unable to compete for open “light duty” positions.
Please contact us by calling (732) 446-2529 or sending us an e-mail at glennbarlett@gbcs.net if you are interested in discussing the OFCCP’s settlement with G&K Services Co.