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A recent class action lawsuit from a former chief of staff claims that WeWork and its executives discriminate against pregnant women.
In her WeWork class action, claimant Medina Bardhi says she was faced with numerous instances of sex discrimination even before she joined WeWork and got pregnant. These instances reportedly came to a head when she was not allowed to resume her job after maternity leave.
Bardhi says she interviewed for the chief of staff job at WeWork in October 2013. During her interview, she was allegedly asked if she planned to get pregnant – a question that was reportedly asked to many other applicants. Bardhi got the job and reportedly started working as chief of staff to former CEO Adam Neumann.
In March 2016, Bardhi reportedly became pregnant. Despite this joyful event, Bardhi was allegedly faced with stressors from work. She claims she was forced to disclose her pregnancy sooner than is typical in order to ensure that she would not be exposed to marijuana during long flights with Neumann.
Following the announcement of her pregnancy, Bardhi was allegedly belittled by Neumann and other employees. They reportedly called her maternity leave a “vacation” and treated her pregnancy as a “problem.”
After Bardhi returned from maternity leave in April 2017, she was reportedly shocked when she realized that Neuman had hired a man to replace her. This man was allegedly paid more than twice her salary for doing the same job.
Eventually, Bardhi was able to resume her role as chief of staff but, according to the WeWork class action, this did not last. When Bardhi became pregnant again the following year, WeWork and Neumann allegedly made the changes permanent and replaced her while she was on leave into early 2019. In May and August, Bardhi reportedly made formal complaints about her treatment only to be fired on Oct. 2.
Bardhi’s recent WeWork class action filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) claims that her mistreatment was rooted in discrimination against women, particularly pregnant women.
The claimant argues that many other women have likely experienced this discrimination based on the company’s operating patterns. She seeks to represent a Class of female WeWork employees who were discriminated against based on their gender and/or pregnancy.
She also seeks to represent a Collective of female WeWork employees who were paid less than male employees performing the same or similar job duties.
“Our hope is that this class action complaint will send a loud and clear message to WeWork and other startups that pregnant women cannot be forced out of their jobs, that women must be paid fairly and afforded equal opportunities, and that you cannot retaliate against any person who voices a complaint of discrimination,” Bardhi’s attorney said in a statement regarding the WeWork class action.
WeWork has denied the allegations in the WeWork class action and reportedly vowed that the company “intends to vigorously defend itself.”
“We have zero tolerance for discrimination of any kind,” a WeWork representative said in a statement. “We are committed to moving the company forward and building a company and culture that our employees can be proud of.”
Are you a current or former employee of WeWork who was discriminated against based on your gender and/or pregnancy? Share your experiences in the comment section below.
Bardhi and the proposed Class and Collective are represented by Douglas H. Wigdor, Jeanne M. Christensen, Lawrence M. Pearson and Tanvir H. Rahman.
The WeWork Discrimination Class and Collective Action Lawsuit is Bardhi v. The We Co. d/b/a WeWork, et al., Case No. not available, in the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission New York District Office.
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