Quest Diagnostics Hit with $100M Gender Discrimination Class Action

If granted class action certification, the Quest Diagnostics gender discrimination lawsuit could cover hundreds of female employees employed by Quest since February 17, 2010, the women’s lawyer said.

“We hope this will send a message to other companies that female employees are not to be treated this way,” said their attorney. “The instances set forth here are pretty egregious.”

The women allege in the gender discrimination class action lawsuit that Quest failed to correct discriminatory policies, practices and procedures that have an illegal, disparate impact on women. It alleges that high-ranking company officials and a male-dominated upper management foster an “old boys’ club” environment that forces women to work under less favorable circumstances than men and denies them equal advancement opportunities.

One of the Plaintiffs claims in the lawsuit she was passed over for a promotion in 2009 despite 15 years of sales experience and several awards for her performance. The position, the lawsuit said, went to a male colleague with three years of sales experience.

The Quest gender discrimination class action lawsuit further charges there is a clear pattern of male employees and female employees without primary child care responsibilities advancing more rapidly and to higher-paying jobs at Quest.

“The managers who are maintaining and promoting the current male-dominated management structure have a disproportionate impact on the promotion and compensation decisions that affect female sales reps,” said the women’s lawyer.

The Quest gender discrimination class action lawsuit is seeking $100 million in damages from Quest, which provides diagnostic tests and laboratory services. It is also seeking an initiation of programs to remedy the company’s past and present discriminatory policies, practices and procedures, as well as the creation of a task force to ensure equal employment opportunity.

In addition to seeking class action status, the two women also filed individual claims of disparate pay, differential treatment, gender hostility and retaliation in the workplace, among other allegations.