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US soccer's $24M gender pay gap settlement may help HR 'elevate' pay equity

03 Mar 2022 12:02 PM | Bill Brewer (Administrator)


Published March 2, 2022 | Ryan Golden

In the past, fear of potential reputational or liability risks may have thwarted efforts to address pay equity internally. But that calculus has changed in recent years.

In July 2019, the U.S. women's national soccer team successfully defended its 2015 FIFA World Cup championship title. By all accounts, the athletes' victory cemented their status as top performers in their chosen field.

Months earlier, however, members of the team argued in court that their pay did not reflect that status.

A March 2019 collective and class action brought by players on the women's national team, also known as the USWNT, alleged that the U.S. Soccer Federation, the nation's governing body for the sport, failed to promote gender equality by paying USWNT players less than it paid members of the U.S. men's national team. white paper

"The USSF admits to such purposeful gender discrimination even during times when the WNT earned more profit, played more games, won more games, earned more championships, and/or garnered higher television audiences," per the filing.

The case made waves before, during and after the team's 2019 championship run, making its way up to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit after a California district court ruled in favor of the federation. Last year, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed an amicus curiae brief in support of the athletes.

Nearly three years later, the end of the legal saga may be in sight. USWNT players reached a $24 million settlement agreement with their employer in February, according to Mayer Brown, a law firm representing members of the team. In a joint statement, U.S. Soccer and USWNT said the settlement was contingent upon the negotiation of a new collective bargaining agreement.

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Source: HR Dive

https://www.hrdive.com/news/us-soccers-24m-gender-pay-gap-settlement-may-help-hr-elevate-pay-equity/619691/

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