The lawsuit by current and former employees claimed that Sterling Jewelers Inc. practices a pattern of sex discrimination in the promotion and compensation of women and permits a work environment contaminated by unwanted sexual advances toward some employees.
The lawsuit said the company operates under at least 12 retail names including Kay Jewelers, Goodman Jewelers and Osterman Jewelers.
Sterling, the parent company, said it investigated the claims and found them to be without merit.
"We take the allegations raised in this lawsuit very seriously," it said. "We are confident that these charges do not reflect the culture of this company. Fairness, opportunity, integrity and respect are core values at Sterling."
The company said it did not believe the charges were valid and promised to defend "vigorously against whatever legal action arises."
The women said the company refused to publicize job openings and instead let managers select preferred employees in a "tap on the shoulder" system.
The lawsuit said Sterling has intentionally discriminated against women by maintaining a system for making promotion and compensation decisions that is excessively subjective and favored men over women.
The lawsuit alleged specific examples of discrimination faced by female employees, including Lisa McConnell, who worked at a Kay Jewelers store from July 2001 until August 2006.
The lawsuit said McConnell was told in October 2002 that her salary of $12 per hour as an assistant manager was $2 to $3 less per hour than similarly situated male assistant managers.
The lawsuit said she endured sexual harassment at the hands of a manager-in-training who commented on the anatomy of women who walked by the store and asked McConnell if she would find out if a woman who passed the store in a short skirt was wearing underwear.
The lawsuit, which asked to be designated to represent a class of all women who have faced discrimination at the stores, seeks policy changes and unspecified damages.
Source: usatoday
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