Los Angeles court finds requirement for corporate boards to include women unconstitutional.
Research finds that 80 percent of people who report sexual harassment in the workplace experience retaliation as South Korea revises law against workplace gender discrimination and sexual misconduct. McDonald’s announces plan to sell Russian operations, while Facebook’s parent company, Meta, faces a class action lawsuit for employment discrimination and a Los Angeles court rules that the requirement for corporate boards to include women is unconstitutional.
Workers face retaliation for reporting sexual harassment
More than eight out of 10 people who reported sexual harassment at the workplace have suffered some form of retaliation, according to Gapjil 119.
The civic group, which campaigns against workplace abuses, announced its analysis of the 205 reports it received from abuse victims between January 2021 and March 2022, Yonhap news agency reported.
This as a revised law takes effect in South Korea with enhanced measures against workplace gender discrimination and sexual misconduct.
Gapjil 119 also noted that gender discrimination in hiring, wage and promotion was still prevalent.
US judge finds push for more women on boards unlawful
A Los Angeles, US, court has found that the requirement for corporate boards to include women is unconstitutional.
“In support of women in the boardroom, the defense offered the testimony of stereotypical virtues of women such as ‘consensus builders’ and ‘less risky behavior in investments,” the judge wrote in the 23-page opinion. “The court is unpersuaded by this offer of stereotypes for a justification” of the law.
She ordered the state of California not to enforce the law, saying she wasn’t persuaded by the argument that more women on corporate boards would boost the economy or that the state could legally rectify historical discrimination with the legislation.
The law had been credited as a major catalyst behind a 2021 milestone in the US – the participation of women on corporate boards reaching 30 percent for companies in the S&P 500 Index, reports Bloomberg.
McDonald’s exits Russia
McDonald’s is exiting Russia and has announced plans to sell its business to a local licensee, who will be operating under a new brand.
Under the terms of the deal, CNBC reports, the new owner will retain the existing estimated 60,000 employees for at least two years, on equivalent terms, and fund the salaries of corporate employees who work in 45 regions of the country until the deal closes and existing liabilities to suppliers, landlords and utilities.
McDonald’s suspended operations in early March, following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Renault and Exxon Mobil are also reportedly exiting Russia.
Meta faces class action employment discrimination lawsuit
Meta Platforms, Facebook’s parent company, is facing a class action lawsuit for employment discrimination.
Purushothaman Rajaram, a US citizen, has accused Facebook of preferring to hire visa-dependent workers for certain US positions, alleging that this is being done so Facebook can pay these employees less than US workers to do the same work.
