Google to Pay $28 Million for Favouring White and Asian Employees in Pay and Promotions

By Evans Momodu
Published 8:49 UK GMT

Google has agreed to a $28 million settlement to resolve a class-action lawsuit alleging workplace discrimination in pay and promotions.

The lawsuit claimed that the company favoured white and Asian employees over other racial groups by offering them higher salaries and career advancements.

Judge Charles Adams of the Santa Clara County Superior Court in California gave preliminary approval last week to the settlement.

The agreement covers at least 6,632 Google employees who worked in California between February 15, 2018, and December 31, 2024. Judge Adams described the settlement as fair, reasonable, and beneficial for the affected employees.

Google, a subsidiary of Alphabet Inc., acknowledged the settlement but denied any wrongdoing. Company spokesperson Courtenay Mancini stated:

“We continue to disagree with the allegations that we treated anyone differently and remain committed to paying, hiring, and levelling all employees fairly.”

Lawsuit Background and Lead Plaintiff Claims

The lawsuit was led by Ana Cantu, a former Google employee who identifies as Mexican and racially Indigenous. Cantu filed the claim on behalf of Hispanic, Latinx, Indigenous, Native American, American Indian, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, and Alaska Native employees at Google.

Cantu, who worked for seven years in Google’s people operations and cloud departments, alleged that despite delivering outstanding performance, she remained at the same job level while her white and Asian colleagues received higher pay and promotions.

She further claimed that Google assigned white and Asian employees to higher job levels for the same work and withheld raises and promotions from those who spoke out.

Cantu argued that Google’s actions violated the California Equal Pay Act, leading her to leave the company in September 2021.

Judge Adams noted that the final settlement came after Black employees were excluded from the proposed class, following discussions between Cantu’s lawyers and Google.

Out of the $28 million settlement, approximately $20.4 million will be distributed among the affected employees. The remaining $7 million will cover legal fees, penalties under California’s Private Attorneys General Act, and other administrative costs.

A final settlement hearing is scheduled for September 11, 2025.

Cantu’s attorneys have yet to comment on the settlement.
Source: Sky news