Apple Inc. was hit with a class-action lawsuit on Thursday alleging that more than 12,000 female California employees are paid less than men in comparable jobs, according to lawyers for the plaintiffs.
The lawsuit, filed in San Francisco state court by two women, alleges that Apple systematically underpaid female employees in engineering, marketing and AppleCare, according to a statement from their lawyers.
According to the company, Apple bases employees’ starting salaries on previous salaries and “salary expectations,” which results in women receiving lower salaries.
The lawsuit also alleges that Apple’s performance review system, used to determine salary increases and bonuses, is biased against women, the lawyers said.
Apple did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
