Google has agreed to a $28 million settlement to resolve a class-action lawsuit alleging that the company favored white and Asian employees over others in terms of pay and career advancement.
The lawsuit, led by former employee Ana Cantu, claimed that Hispanic, Indigenous, Native American, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, and Alaska Native employees were systematically placed in lower-paying positions and denied promotions compared to their white and Asian colleagues.
Cantu, who identifies as Mexican and racially Indigenous, worked at Google for seven years in its people operations and cloud departments. She alleged that despite exemplary performance, she remained at the same job level while white and Asian peers received raises and promotions. The lawsuit argued that Google’s practices violated the California Equal Pay Act.
Notably, the settlement excludes Black employees from the class, following Google’s request.
The final settlement class includes at least 6,632 employees in California who worked at Google between February 15, 2018, and December 31, 2024.
After deducting legal fees and other costs, approximately $20.4 million will be allocated to the affected staff. Google continues to deny any wrongdoing, stating:
“We continue to disagree with the allegations that we treated anyone differently, and remain committed to paying, hiring and leveling … .”
This settlement highlights ongoing challenges related to diversity and inclusion within the tech industry, emphasizing the need for equitable treatment across all employee demographics.
