A Labor Department investigation found preliminary evidence of gender discrimination at Microsoft.
Kelly Dermody, who represents three women suing Microsoft for gender discrimination including the denial of raises and promotions, filed court documents this week that contained a “notice of violation” from the Department of Labor (DOL).
Much of the court documents pertaining to the lawsuit are sealed and not publicly available. But according to documents obtained by the Seattle Times, Microsoft received notice in May of the agency’s “investigation of systemic gender discrimination of pay and promotions.”
A Microsoft spokeswoman told the Seattle Times the investigation was “just one step in that process. We are continuing to work closely with the agency to answer questions they may have and to demonstrate our commitment to equal employment opportunity.”
The DOL notice is the latest discovery in the gender discrimination lawsuit filed last year. Microsoft denies the allegations, much of which surround the company’s performance rating system. Microsoft’s gender-based lawsuit follows that of former Reddit interim CEO Ellen Pao, who lost her suit against former law firm Kleiner, Perkins, Caufield & Byers.
Pao’s case contained similar complaints reported in the Microsoft case and was largely regarded as an important step for women in tech despite the legal outcome. Since losing the suit, Pao has encouraged other women in tech to come forward with their own experiences regarding pay gaps and sexual harassment.