Last week we talked about how women make less than men, and this week we will continue to look at gender-based discrimination. Although this week’s specific story happened in Ohio, it is about Manhattan-based JPMorgan Chase, and, sadly, the kind of inappropriate and illegal sex-based discrimination that has been alleged could happen at any New York office.
JPMorgan Chase recently announced its decision to settle an Equal Employment Opportunity Commission lawsuit by paying $1.45 million and revising how it keeps information about sales calls. The EEOC had filed suit after female mortgage brokers reported a hostile work environment filled with inappropriate sexual behavior. When the female mortgage brokers did not go along with the sexist environment, sales calls were directed to others.
No one, man or woman, should be forced to choose between accepting a hostile work environment or losing many of the economic benefits of a job. Not only is such a practice morally repugnant, but it is illegal. And, should someone be put into this difficult situation, he or she can contact an employment law attorney to further explore his or her legal options.
In this situation, JPMorgan Chase has agreed to divide the $1.45 million settlement between 16 female mortgage brokers who suffered sex-based discrimination. In addition to the monetary award, the financial giant has agreed to create a data retention system that will make it easier to ensure that sales calls are distributed without bias. Both aspects of this settlement are important changes that will hopefully eradicate sex-based discrimination at JPMorgan Chase in the future.
Source: U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, “JPMorgan Chase Will Pay $1,450,000 to Resolve EEOC Class Sex Discrimination Lawsuit,” Feb. 3, 2014
