Lawsuit claims KPMG US treats women unfairly

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.

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