Gender discrimination lawsuit against PlayStation heats up as more women come forward
Former and current female employees at PlayStation have added their accounts to a proposed class-action lawsuit.
The proposed class-action lawsuit against PlayStation is back in the spotlight after seven former staffers and one current employee provided comments regarding sexism in the workplace.
According to Axios, eight women across various US-based PlayStation offices have shared accounts of company-wide misconduct ranging from "demeaning comments, unwelcome advances," being dismissive of ideas from female team members, and lack of promotions for female employees.
A 16 year veteran of Sony Online Entertainment and Sony PlayStation alleges women weren't considered for senior roles during “calibration sessions” as much as men. One such session only saw four women considered for promotion compared to 70 men. During the sessions, she heard comments made about female candidates’ family lives - comments that weren't directed at male staffers up for promotion.
In a statement provided for the lawsuit, a former female program manager stated she didn't think Sony was "equipped to appropriately handle toxic environments," and shared that at least 10 women had left her office in California within four months.
Before she left the company in January, she shared a letter with female employees which she wrote to notify superiors about "gender bias, alleged discrimination against pregnant women and resistance from a senior man in HR to act on these accounts," according to Axios.
A hearing for Sony's request to dismiss the lawsuit will occur at the earliest in April.
Back in November, the lawsuit was brought against PlayStation over alleged gender discrimination and wrongful termination. Filed by a former PlayStation IT security analyst, the plaintiff claimed Sony "willfully violated" labor laws by "intentionally, knowingly, and/or deliberately paying women less than men for substantially equal or similar work."
The lawsuit alleges Sony's PlayStation "cultivates a work environment that discriminates against female employees," and along with gender discrimination, instances of "harassment, and wrongful termination" were also cited in the claim.
Among other allegations, the suit states the plaintiff's termination was caused by gender bias against females, and bias against those who spoke up about gender bias.
Back in February, Sony denied the claims and asked the court to dismiss the lawsuit over the lack of facts.