PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) age discrimination $11.6M class action settlement

PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) agreed to a $11.6 million age discrimination class action lawsuit settlement to resolve claims it discriminated against older job applicants by not hiring them.

The settlement benefits consumers who applied to full-time associate, experienced associate or senior associate positions in PricewaterhouseCoopers’ Tax or Assurance service departments between Oct. 18, 2013, and Jan. 21, 2020. Eligible consumers must have submitted a consent to join the settlement by Jan. 21, 2020.

PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) is a tax and auditing company that offers services to a number of industries. According to the company’s website, PwC hires over 295,000 professionals in 156 countries.

However, PwC may discriminate against older job applicants simply because of their age.

A class action lawsuit against PwC claimed the company violated discrimination laws by refusing to hire associates over age 40. Additionally, PwC allegedly used questionable hiring practices such as posting job positions only through the college recruitment process. 

PwC employees were also discriminated against, according to the class action lawsuit, by being forced to retire by age 60.

PwC hasn’t admitted any wrongdoing but agreed to pay $11.625 million as part of a settlement to resolve these allegations. This includes a reserve fund of $300,000 to compensate applicants who applied but were not hired between March 10, 2021, and June 10, 2022.

Under the terms of the PwC settlement, class members can collect a cash payment based on their experiences. Each payment will be weighted based on whether a class member had an in-person interview, what their qualifications are and other factors. According to the settlement, default payments are $200 but may be increased based on these factors.

Class members can also receive a payment from the reserve fund. These payments will be allocated similarly to the other payments and are estimated to be between $0 and $10,000 depending on class members’ situations.

The settlement also includes non-monetary relief in order to prevent future discrimination against older job applicants. 

For two years, PwC has agreed to enhance postings by advertising to older applicants, will not ask for graduation dates or limit based on these dates, shall include age in its non-discrimination policy and will take other steps to prevent discrimination.

The deadline for exclusion and objection was Dec. 22, 2020. 

The final approval hearing for the PwC lawsuit settlement was held Jan. 27, 2021.

In order to receive a payment from the reserve fund, class members must submit a valid claim form by Sept. 10, 2022.

Who’s Eligible

The settlement benefits consumers who applied to full-time associate, experienced associate or senior associate positions in PricewaterhouseCoopers’ Tax or Assurance service departments between Oct. 18, 2013, and Jan. 21, 2020. Eligible consumers must have submitted a consent to join the settlement by Jan. 21, 2020.

Potential Award

Varies

Proof of Purchase

No proof of purchase applicable.

Claim Form

NOTE: If you do not qualify for this settlement do NOT file a claim.

Remember: you are submitting your claim under penalty of perjury. You are also harming other eligible Class Members by submitting a fraudulent claim. If you’re unsure if you qualify, please read the FAQ section of the Settlement Administrator’s website to ensure you meet all standards (Top Class Actions is not a Settlement Administrator). If you don’t qualify for this settlement, check out our database of other open class action settlements you may be eligible for.

Claim Form Deadline

09/10/2022

Case Name

Rabin v. PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, Case No. 16-cv-02276-JST in the U.S. District Court Northern District of California, Oakland Division

Final Hearing

01/27/2021

Settlement Website

PWCApplicantCase.com

Claims Administrator

Rabin v. PricewaterhouseCoopers Settlement Administrator
c/o JND Legal Administration
P.O. Box 91209
Seattle, WA 98111
Info@PwCApplicantCase.com
877-545-0239

Class Counsel

Jahan C. Sagafi
Laura Iris Mattes
OUTTEN & GOLDEN LLP

Daniel Kohrman
Laurie McCann
Dara Smith
AARP FOUNDATION LITIGATION

Defense Counsel

Michael P. Esser
Emily Nicklin
Gabor Balassa
Christina Briesacher
Mark Premo-Hopkins
KIRKLAND & ELLIS LLP