Lawsuit claims KPMG US treats women unfairly
Ex-senior manager claimed sex discrimination in pay, promotion and flexible working
KPMG DISCRIMINATES against its female employees, according to a lawsuit filed in New York yesterday.
A former senior manager at the firm Donna Kassman is seeking $350m (£214.2m) in lost pay and benefits as well as other compensatory costs, Reuters.co.uk reports.
The Big Four firm is accused of developing a hostile work environment in which women are underpaid and rarely promoted to leadership roles. The suit said just 18% of KPMG partners are women, although nearly half of its workforce are female.
It is also claimed that KPMG cut Kassman’s salary by $20,000 when she took maternity leave. The suit alleges that mothers who opt for flexible working hours are forced to accept reduced pay but must continue to take on full-time responsibilities.
After a “stellar” early career at KPMG, Kassman was in line for promotion to managing director when a “troika of men…conspired to derail her career advancement,” said the legal claim.
Reuters said KPMG was unavailable for comment.