A former Facebook employee is suing the company on a number of claims. She is alleging that the company discriminated against her because of her sex, her race, and her national origin. She also claims that she was harassed at work because of her sex.
The woman, Chia Hong, worked at Facebook from June 2010 to October 2013. She says that during her time with the company, she was treated differently from other employees because of her race and gender. She was finally fired in 2013.
According to Ms. Hong, while she was with the company she was belittled. She claims she was asked why she didn’t quit to stay home with her children. She also claims that when she took time off from work to volunteer with her children’s school, she was punished. She alleges that she was asked to perform demeaning tasks, like organizing parties and serving drinks to male colleagues, which was not in her job description. According to the complaint, male employees were not requested to serve drinks or organize parties. The Plaintiff also claims that she received satisfactory performance evaluations, but was later fired and replaced by a man with fewer qualifications and less experience.
Facebook is denying the claims, stating they work hard on issues involving gender, equality and diversity, and that they have made progress in those areas. They also claim that the facts did not occur as claimed in the lawsuit, and that the woman was treated fairly.
In its early days, Facebook was criticized for having a sexist culture. However, recently its reputation has improved – it now has generous maternity leave policies and has hired a female chief operating officer, who has been an advocate for women in the field of technology. Critics of Facebook point out that the company is still overwhelmingly white and male, as are most major technology companies.
Discrimination against women in high-tech companies is being talked about a great deal right now. A woman sued Kleiner Perkins for sex discrimination, and rather than being settled out of court, the case is being litigated right now. Over the course of the trial, the public is learning more about the normally secretive practices of high-tech companies.
If the Plaintiff in this case can prove that Facebook treated her in a negative way because she was female or of a different race, Facebook can be held liable for sex discrimination, and may be ordered to pay damages. Under both federal and state law, discrimination in the workplace because of a person’s race, sex, national origin, religion, disability, age, or other factors is unlawful. Harassment on the basis of those factors is also illegal. Damages in a sex discrimination case can include money for lost wages and benefits, emotional pain and suffering, and more. In some cases, companies can be forced to reinstate employees to their old positions, or take other similar actions.
If you have been discriminated against or harassed in the workplace on the basis of your race, sex, religion, disability, national origin, or age, you should speak with an employment attorney. You will need to take action to protect your legal rights. At Liberty Law, Micha Star Liberty believes that companies that discriminate against or harass employees should be held legally accountable in court.
Call Micha Star Liberty, Oakland sex discrimination attorney, at 510-645-1000 or 415-896-1000 if you need to speak with an employment attorney. She works with clients throughout the Bay area, including Oakland, San Francisco, Hayward, San Jose, Sacramento, Tracy, Fairfield, and the surrounding areas. She will provide you with a free consultation on your case. Call today to learn more.
