Disney is facing a class action lawsuit for gender discrimination in Hollywood. According to the plaintiffs, the company has engaged in unequal pay offenses against women workers. According to them, women are paid less than men for performing the same job, in violation of women’s employment rights. Although it has not admitted to being guilty of these practices, Disney has agreed to proceed with a million-dollar settlement that requires it to pay a total of $43.25 million. In this way, the labor courts have penalized a company that considers that the work performed by a woman is not as valid as that performed by a man.
Disney
The Walt Disney Company It has become a global media and entertainment company. It is one of the most important entertainment companies in the audiovisual world. Founded in 1923 by Walt Disney, it began as a cartoon design studio. Its growth and development towards different fields makes it one of the most powerful brands. Today, its offer is divided into products, movies, experiences, amusement parks and media. Very few people (if any) have never seen a Disney movie or heard of its “magical” theme parks.
Both in Orlando and Paris, they receive millions of visitors a year and represent one of its greatest revenues. On the other hand, it has a catalog of movies and series that a few years ago was made available to viewers through its paid streaming platform Disney+. Undoubtedly, this is one of the companies that are considered “money-making machines”, as they have been able to diversify and build customer loyalty.
Disney´s class action lawsuit
The company has received a class action lawsuit for violating the rights of female workers. According to the lawsuit, the female employees were being paid less than their male co-workers for performing the same job. Within the company there is a classification of ranks of employee positions. This is the way to identify the positions below the presidency. In the case of the Disney lawsuit, the following affected positions were listed:
- B1-B4.
- T1-T4.
- TL.
- P1-P6.
- P2L-P5L.
- M1-M3.
- A1-5.
- E0,E1,E1.
Disney payout
Despite not acknowledging any wrongdoing in the alleged behavior, Disney has agreed to pay a settlement of $43.25 million to the affected workers. Nevertheless, the settlement resolves claims brought under the California Equal Pay Act, the Fair Employment and Housing Act and other state labor laws. According to the courts, the company has violated these laws and must pay this compensation. In order to receive these payments, workers must meet a series of criteria that verify that they have been affected by the company’s violation. What requirements must I meet?
- Be a woman.
- Have worked for a Disney-related company in California at any time between April 1, 2015, and Dec. 28, 2024.
- Having a salaried, full-time and nonunion position.
- Job level was one of the following: B1-B4, T1-T4TL, P1-P6, P2L-P5L, M1-M3, A1-5, E0, E1, E1X.
Individual payments will comprise around $200 per individual. On the other hand, employees who have worked for Disney in a covered position since July 15, 2018 onwards will receive $62,500 from the PAID portion of the agreement.
Where to apply for payment?
Even if you do not belong to the group of women represented in the class action, if you are one of those affected and meet the requirements described above, you will still receive your payment. You do not need to fill out any application or form. You only need to be concerned if your contact or bank details have changed. If so, you will have to contact one of the judicial administration offices to resolve it as soon as possible.n Let’s hope that the company has learned its lesson and we don’t have to read headlines like this again.