Just days after PlayStation boss Jim Ryan condemned the events at Activision Blizzard, it has come out that PlayStation themselves are facing a gender discrimination and harassment lawsuit.
As reported by Axios, a former IT security analyst has filed a lawsuit against Sony PlayStation. The lawsuit alleges gender descrimination and wrongful termination after criticising the “discrimination against females,” at the company. The lawsuit claims that employees who are female or identify as such didn’t receive equal pay to their male counterparts. It also states that, “Sony tolerates and cultivates a work environment that discriminates against female employees, including female employees and those who identify as female.”
As well as this, the Plaintiff has requested the court expands the lawsuit into a class action lawsuit. The lawsuit states that the Plaintiff represents anyone who was employed by Sony “during the time period beginning four years prior to the filing of this Complaint,” up to the date of the trial. It also specifies this includes anyone who is female or identifies as such.
“Because of Sony’s systemic pattern and practice of gender discrimination, the Plaintiff and members of the proposed Class have suffered harm including lost compensation, back pay, employment benefits, and emotional distress,” The lawsuit also claims. Sony claims that the employee’s termination was a result of her department being closed down. But she states that she wasn’t even a part of said department.
You can read the full lawsuit here.
disappointing, not surprising
While incredibly disappointing considering Ryan’s comments regarding Activision Blizzard, news of the lawsuit isn’t surprising. For years now numerous reports have come out about various companies alleging workplace harassment and discrimination. There’s no reason Sony PlayStation wouldn’t also have such issues, even while it criticises others for the same thing. This lawsuit is currently ongoing, so it’s unclear whether the employee will be able to prove her case. But it is a strong reminder to be critical of all large companies, as they’re frequently rife with systemic issues.
Featured Image Credit: PlayStation