Google Says Providing Government Gender Pay Data Too Costly

[glakes]

Google argued that it was too financially burdensome and logistically challenging to compile and hand over salary records that the government has requested, sparking a strong rebuke from the US Department of Labor (DoL), which has accused the Silicon Valley firm of underpaying women.

Google officials testified in federal court on Friday that it would have to spend up to 500 hours of work and $100,000 to comply with investigators’ ongoing demands for wage data that the DoL believes will help explain why the technology corporation appears to be systematically discriminating against women.

Noting Google’s nearly $28bn annual income as one of the most profitable companies in the US, DoL attorney Ian Eliasoph scoffed at the company’s defense, saying, “Google would be able to absorb the cost as easy as a dry kitchen sponge could absorb a single drop of water.”

Read at [theguardian.com...]

[Marshall]

I think they are more concerned about what it might cost them if discrimination is proven. That would make the $100,00.00 look like pocket change.

[tangor]

And the complaint of time involved and money spent falls on deaf ears.

After all g indexes the web in real time. What are they using for their accounting---Quickbooks?

[keyplyr]

It's always puzzled me how the entire tech world has continued the very same bias against equal opportunity for women that is so prevalent in other industries. I expected better.

[tangor]

Why? Nerds are misogynists, too! Only nerdier.

[Marshall]

Nerds are misogynists, too!

That is because they could not get dates in high school.

[robzilla]

What ever happened to the presumption of innocence? Have you considered that the DoL requests may not be reasonable?

The spokesperson [for Google] went on to say that the requests made by the OFCCP “that are the subject of the complaint are overbroad in scope, or reveal confidential data, and we’ve made this clear to the OFCCP, to no avail. These requests include thousands of employees’ private contact information which we safeguard rigorously.”

[techcrunch.com...]

"Every year, we do a comprehensive and robust analysis of pay across genders and we have found no gender pay gap. Other than making an unfounded statement which we heard for the first time in court, the DoL hasn’t provided any data, or shared its methodology.”

[theguardian.com...]

The "pay data too costly" argument is obviously just a bit of courtroom drama, blown out of proportion by the media (with a little help from the DoL perhaps, who seem to be seeking out the press). Of course Google can cover any cost, but should it just roll over?