In this article, MSFT focuses on your favorite stock CREATE FREE ACCOUNT. On February 26, 2024, at the World Mobile Communications Conference held in Barcelona, a sign at the Microsoft booth was illuminated. Xavi Torrent | Getty Images.
Microsoft is paying $14.4 million to settle a case in California involving allegations of retaliation by Microsoft against employees who took legally protected leave. The California Department of Civil Rights announced the proposed settlement on Wednesday. After approval by a state judge, almost all of the money will be donated to California workers who have taken parental leave, family care leave, or disability leave since 2017 and decide to participate in the settlement. The agency stated, “Due to the high proportion of women and disabled individuals among Microsoft employees who use or will use protected leave, Microsoft’s questioned policies and practices have also produced gender and disability-based discriminatory adverse effects, which Microsoft cannot justify based on business necessity.” The complaint alleges that Microsoft did not take sufficient measures to prevent managers from considering protected leave when assessing an employee’s “impact,” a factor involving annual bonuses, promotions, stock awards, and performance growth calculations. The lawsuit states that Microsoft, headquartered in Redmond, Washington, has 221,000 employees in California, about 6,700 of them. Microsoft did not immediately comment. Under the leadership of CEO Satya Nadella, Microsoft seeks to achieve higher-level diversity while responding more actively to harassment and discrimination issues. Over the years, the proportion of women at the partner, executive, director, and manager levels has increased. According to Microsoft’s latest diversity report, in 2023, women accounted for 31.2% of Microsoft’s core employees, up from 27.6% in 2019. In 2022, after a shareholder vote, Microsoft said it would amend its sexual harassment and gender discrimination rules, following a report by an external group that found the company had problems handling complaints. Employee reports state that after applying for protected leave, they feared retaliation according to the complaint in California. The proposed settlement agreement states that Microsoft objects to the agency’s claims. As part of the settlement agreement, Microsoft will provide training for California employees’ direct and secondary managers and human resources staff who handle bonuses and performance growth. Managers will also be instructed not to consider paid leave when making “impact” decisions. APTMetrics consultants will be responsible for overseeing compliance.
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