![Microsoft Discrimination Lawsuit Settles for .4 million](/images/articles/s/Microsoft-2.jpg)
State and federal laws prohibit employers from interfering with an employee’s use of protected forms of leave, such as leave to bond with a new child, address a serious health condition, or care for a family member.
Consent Decree
According to the consent decree:
- Each employee the decree covers will receive at least $1,500.
- Microsoft's investigations team will provide a third-party consultant with written findings on the company's alleged acts in the past 12 months.
- The third-party consultant will also update the department on an annual basis on Microsoft's progress.
- Microsoft's human resources employees will also undergo annual trainings
- A $30,000 service payment is set aside to the complainant "in recognition of their contribution to CRD's investigation" and up to 15 individuals will receive $2,500 for their "substantial participation" in the investigation.
- A $750,000 will be put on a set-aside fund that the settlement administrator can use to adjunct payments.
The Civil Rights complaint states that Microsoft’s compensation policies and practices disadvantage its workers who take employment leave that is protected under California and federal law, including disability, pregnancy parental, and other family caretaking leave. Because Microsoft workers who use or will use protected leave are disproportionately women and people with disabilities, Microsoft’s challenged policies and practices also have a discriminatory adverse impact based on sex and disability that Microsoft cannot justify based on business necessity.
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The CRD states that Microsoft has about 221,000 employees worldwide, including nearly 7,000 in California. The case is California Civil Rights Department, an agency of the State of California v. Microsoft Corp., case number 24CV442210, Superior Court of the State of California, County of Santa Clara.