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Benefits July 15, 2010
Novartis Agrees to $175M Gender Bias Settlement
July 15, 2010 (PLANSPONSOR.com) – Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp. has agreed to settle the remainder of gender bias claims brought by women field representatives for $175 million, according to a New York Law Journal report.
Reported by Fred Schneyer
The Law Journal said $152.5 million will go to a class of plaintiffs of current or former female sales representatives with about $60 million to cover back pay claims. An additional $22.5 million will go to company programs designed to battle discrimination.
A federal court jury in New York found for the plaintiffs on May 17 and awarded $3.4 million in damages – a sum that will come out of the settlement money, the Law Journal explained (see Jury Finds Gender Discrimination at Novartis). The same jury awarded $250 million in punitive damages which the settlement replaces.
The plaintiffs claimed they were discriminated against in pay, promotion, and pregnancy policies.