Tech giant Google has agreed to pay $28 million to settle a class action lawsuit alleging that the company favoured white and Asian employees over workers from other racial backgrounds in terms of pay and career advancement.
The lawsuit was led by Ana Cantu, an indigenous Mexican employee, who filed the case on behalf of other minority groups, including Hispanic, Latino, and Native American employees at Google.
The settlement, which was approved last week by Judge Charles Adams of the Santa Clara County Superior Court in California, applies to 6,632 Google employees in California who worked at the company between February 15, 2018, and December 31, 2024.
Although Google has agreed to the settlement, the company denied any wrongdoing. A spokesperson stated, "We continue to disagree with the allegations that we treated anyone differently and remain committed to paying, hiring, and leveling all employees fairly."
Cantu, who worked at Google for seven years, claimed that despite her strong performance, she was never promoted or given additional pay, whereas her white and Asian colleagues received higher salaries and career advancements for similar work.
She also alleged that Google placed white and Asian employees at higher job levels for the same roles and that those who raised complaints about discrimination faced obstacles in promotions and raises.
Cantu eventually resigned in September 2021, arguing that Google's actions violated the California Equal Pay Act.
After deductions for legal fees, penalties, and other costs, the final amount available for distribution among the affected employees will be $20.4 million.