CLEVELAND (Legal Newsline) — The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced in September that SOCI Petroleum and Santmyer Oil Company Inc. (collectively referred to as SOCI) will pay $50,000 after allegations of federal sex-based pay discrimination.
SOCI purportedly hired Lori Bowersock in 2006 to perform human resources work. In 2009, Bowersock assumed a manager role after her male predecessor left. However, EEOC argues she was paid less than the male counterpart – despite doing substantially equal work. Additional EEOC arguments allege SOCI allegedly allowed female employees to be subjected to derogatory sex-based comments in the workplace.
"This settlement should remind all employers that the law absolutely prohibits paying female employees less than males for performing the same job duties," said district director Spencer H. Lewis Jr. of EEOC's Philadelphia District Office. "This practice has been against federal law for 53 years, and there is no excuse or justification for it. EEOC will continue to enforce equal pay laws."
The consent decree settling the case requires SOCI to provide training for its employees on the Equal Pay Act of 1963 and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
"We are proud to announce this settlement, which provides for both monetary compensation for Ms. Bowersock and injunctive relief designed to prevent this from happening to female employees in the future,” said EEOC regional attorney Debra Lawrence.