For some of my thoughts on options backdating and the troubles they cause for HR executives, please read the cover story in this month's Human Resources Executive magazine.
Editorial Note: Human Resources Executive magazine misstates my name as "Michael R. Rosenthal" rather than "Michael H. Rosenthal".
Friday, June 1, 2007
Gender Discrimination in the Workplace? Gee. . . No, its GE.
Do you think that executives are immune from workplace discrimination? Not according to GE Transportation General Counsel, Lorene F. Schaefer, who accuses GE of systemic company-wide discriminatory treatment of (1) female executive band employees, and (2) all female attorneys. Schaefer is highest-ranking legal employee in General Electric’s $4.2 billion Transportation Division. She is seeking to change GE’s alleged discriminatory pay and promotion policies and practices. Schaefer also seeks $500 million in damages for a class of approximately 1500 Executive Band female employees and female attorneys. Each female Executive Band employee and female attorney would receive, on average, approximately $300,000. Schaefer said that “[t]his suit is not only for GE women, but for my daughters and all daughters who should not have to face what I have faced at GE.”
Schaefer’s lawsuit came on the heels of a Supreme Court decision that limits the right of executives and other employees to remedy pay discrimination based on gender or other impermissible reasons. Although a bill will soon be introduced in the Senate to overturn the decision, Judge Alito’s remarks at his Senate Confirmation hearing are worth considering:
Ferreting out those subtler forms of discrimination may be difficult. But executives who are not satisfied with their career path should consider whether the differences in pay,responsibility and promotion opportunity are truly merit based or instead a by-product of “underground” discrimination.
Schaefer’s lawsuit came on the heels of a Supreme Court decision that limits the right of executives and other employees to remedy pay discrimination based on gender or other impermissible reasons. Although a bill will soon be introduced in the Senate to overturn the decision, Judge Alito’s remarks at his Senate Confirmation hearing are worth considering:
There are subtle forms of discrimination and the judicial process has to be attentive to the fact that discrimination exists and, today, a lot of it’s driven underground.
Ferreting out those subtler forms of discrimination may be difficult. But executives who are not satisfied with their career path should consider whether the differences in pay,responsibility and promotion opportunity are truly merit based or instead a by-product of “underground” discrimination.
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