Jeffrey Campolongo.
What is the going rate for settling an illegal policy case, you ask? Well, based on two recent settlements obtained by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), it appears to be about a million dollars. In a lawsuit the EEOC brought against cosmetic company, Estée Lauder, the company agreed to pay $1.1 million to resolve a gender discrimination case. The lawsuit, which was filed by the EEOC in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania against the New York-based conglomerate, accused Estée Lauder of having an illegal policy which discriminated against male employees by giving them less paid parental leave than their female colleagues.
On the same day, the EEOC also announced the simultaneous filing and settlement of a disability discrimination lawsuit against a global metal goods manufacturer, Memphis-based Mueller Industries, Inc., which has agreed to pay $1 million and other injunctive relief. According to a press release, the EEOC charged that the company terminated employees or failed to provide reasonable accommodations for those exceeding its maximum 180-day leave policy. The EEOC also said that Mueller Industries violated federal law by implementing an attendance policy that assigned points to employees’ absences, regardless of reason.
