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Wal-Mart Settles Sex Discrimination Suit

By Sarah Pierce

Wal-Mart is no stranger to sex discrimination lawsuits. The retail giant, which has seen several class action lawsuits over the years, finally reached an agreement last week in a nine-year-old suit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).

According to the EEOC, Wal-Mart’s London, Kentucky Distribution Center denied jobs to female applicants from 1998 through February 2005, even if they were equally or better qualified than male applicants. The suit alleged Wal-Mart routinely used gender stereotypes when filling entry-level order filler positions, and that hiring officials told applicants these positions were not suitable for women and that they hired mainly 18- to 25-year-old males.

Wal-Mart Stores has agreed to pay $11.7 million and change its hiring practices. The $11.7 million payment will be split among a yet-to-be determined number of claimants. Wal-Mart will also be required to fill the first 50 order-filler jobs by eligible female class-action members. After that, female class members will be offered every other job.

More information about the EEOC lawsuit against Wal-Mart can be found here: http://www.eeoc.gov/eeoc/newsroom/release/3-1-10.cfm

Updated March 8th, 2010

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