Microsoft is the latest tech company to get hit with a gender discrimination lawsuit. A former employee, Katie Moussouris, claims that Microsoft pays its women team members less than its male employees, and also promotes men to new positions more frequently compared to women.
Moussouris worked in Microsoft's Trustworthy Computing Group for seven years before departing in 2014. A press release from her attorneys summarized what was contained in her lawsuit, which was filed in US Federal Court in Seattle:
"According to the complaint, "[a]s a result of Microsoft's policies, patterns, and practices, female technical employees receive less compensation and are promoted less frequently than their male counterparts. Microsoft's company-wide policies and practices systematically violate female technical employees' rights and result in the unchecked gender bias that pervades its corporate culture." Plaintiff Katie Moussouris said, "What happened to me is not unique. This case will illuminate the broad patterns of decision-making against women. Fundamentally, this is about fairness and equality."
Update: Microsoft has sent this statement over to Windows Central:
"We're committed to a diverse workforce, and to a workplace where all employees have the chance to succeed. We've previously reviewed the plaintiff's allegations about her specific experience and did not find anything to substantiate those claims, and we will carefully review this new complaint."
Source: Microsoft Gender Case
