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Update:
- A federal judge in California determined Disney will have to face claims brought against it by at least 8,900 women who argue they were paid less than their male coworkers at the company.
- Disney argued the women failed to adequately identify “substantially similar” jobs performed by both male and female Disney employees.
- Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Elihu Berle, in rejecting Disney’s argument, agreed to certify the class of women under California’s Equal Pay Act; however, he declined to certify a larger class proposed under the Fair Employment and Housing Act.
- The female Disney workers requested class certification for a class of women employed by Disney in California who are nonunion and have held a position below the level of vice president between April 2015 and present.
Disney women managers class action overview:
- Who: The Walt Disney Co. has been hit with a class action lawsuit by a female employee.
- Why: The plaintiff alleges Disney underpays women employees in middle management.
- Where: The Disney women managers class action is active in the United States.
(July 6, 2023)
The Walt Disney Co. has been hit with a class action lawsuit by a female employee who alleges Disney underpays women middle managers, compared to their male counterparts.
Ten female employees filed the class action lawsuit against Disney in a Los Angeles Superior Court in 2019, alleging violations of the Fair Employment & Housing Act and California’s Equal Pay Act. On June 29, the plaintiffs filed a motion asking a judge to grant them class action certification in the case.
According to the lawsuit, Disney routinely underpays its female employees and passes them over for promotion, the plaintiffs allege.
They also allege the company “piles on extra work without additional compensation, and does not supply sufficient support staff to allow women to succeed at their jobs.”
The plaintiffs in the case are LaRonda Rasmussen, Karen Moore, Virginia Eady-Marshall, Enny Joo, Rebecca Train, Amy Hutchins, Nancy Dolan, Pareja Sinn, Dawn Johnson and Chelsea Hanke, all current or former Disney employees who say they were not treated as equals to their male counterparts at the company.
Disney has underpaid women managers in excess of $150M, lawsuit alleges
The plaintiffs allege Disney paid its women employees in middle management at least $150 million less than men in substantially similar positions.
The estimate comes from an expert report prepared by David Neumark, an economics professor at the University of California. Neumark said Disney paid women 2% less than men overall, the report states.
The women allege the gender difference in starting pay from 2015 to 2017 was 4.36% and has since dropped to less than 2% but is still significant.
The plaintiffs seek to certify a class of “non-union, female employees in California, below the level of vice president, challenging sex discrimination in compensation at Disney on or after April 1, 2015,” the motion states. The class includes women who were all subjected to common compensation policies that have an adverse effect on women with respect to pay.
Meanwhile, an unvaccinated former Disney World worker has hit Walt Disney Parks and Resorts with a lawsuit alleging she had her civil rights violated when she was forced to wear a mask at work, and then fired for not doing so.
What do you think of the allegations against Disney? Let us know in the comments.
The plaintiffs are represented by Lori Andrus of Andrus Anderson LLP, Joseph M. Sellers, Christine E. Webber and Phoebe Wolfe of Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll PLLC and James Kan, Byron Goldstein and Stephanie E. Tilden of Goldstein Borgen Dardarian & Ho.
The Disney class action lawsuit is LaRonda Rasmussen, et al. v. The Walt Disney Co. et al., Case No. 19STCV10974, in the Superior Court of the State of California, Los Angeles County.
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5 thoughts onJudge certifies class of female Disney employees claiming they were paid less than men
Lots of people worked for Disney
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Dear Fred and others, I was a fool to work there over 25 years, always having my title changed so they could use the excuse that they couldn’t pay me higher because they had no “benchmark” to compare me to. They lied and said if I worked hard I would have adequate staff under me for assistance to the 15 projects they handed me. They lied and I regret not suing. I hope these women get millions on behalf of all those they lied to. Disney is unscrupulous and lies to its employees. My own boss admitted when I left them that I was underpaid for years to rub it in. Work anywhere but there. Shame on Disney!
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Can someone explain in detail with examples what this means? –> “…does not supply sufficient support staff to allow women to succeed at their jobs.”.