In a finding sure to shock those who claim that women are systemically underpaid, Google discovered through an internal company study that among men and women performing similar tasks, more men than women were underpaid.
The New York Times reports that after Google discovered the disparity, the company paid out $9.7 million in additional compensation to 10,677 employees, with what the Times called a “disproportionately higher percentage of the money” going to men.
The times notes that the study was conducted while Google has been targeted by a Labor Department investigation into gender pay inequality and a potential class-action lawsuit from women claiming they have been paid disproportionately less than men at the company.
Lauren Barbato, Google’s lead analyst for pay equity who presented the result of the study, stated in a blog post, “We know that’s only part of the story, Because leveling, performance ratings, and promotion impact pay, this year, we are undertaking a comprehensive review of these processes to make sure the outcomes are fair and equitable for all employees.” She also added that discovering men were systemically underpaid was a “surprising trend that we didn’t expect.”
The study examined 91% of Google’s employees and compared their compensation. – READ MORE