Jun 13, 2024 - Business

Apple accused of underpaying more than 12,000 women

Lauren Floyd

Apple CEO Tim Cook delivers remarks — Apple CEO Tim Cook at the start of the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference on June 10, 2024 in Cupertino, California. Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Apple is facing a proposed class action lawsuit filed Thursday on behalf of more than 12,000 women in California who allege the company paid them less than men employed to fill similar roles, per Reuters.

The big picture: Apple ranks in the top five companies in the U.S. for the revenue it brings in and recently saw its market value soar after announcing plans to incorporate artificial intelligence in its products.

Zoom in: The two women leading the pay equity suit have worked for Apple for more than 10 years, and they are alleging the tech giant systematically underpays female employees in its AppleCare, engineering and marketing departments, Reuters reported.

What they're saying: Apple didn't directly address the suit in a statement to Axios.

"At Apple we are deeply committed to inclusion and we have a long-standing commitment to pay equity, which is embedded in our approach to compensating our valued team members," an Apple spokesperson said in an email.
"Since 2017, Apple has achieved and maintained gender pay equity and every year we partner with an independent third-party expert to examine each team member's total compensation and make adjustments, where necessary, to ensure that we maintain pay equity."

Go deeper: Apple finds gender pay gap among UK workers

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Apple accused of underpaying more than 12,000 women

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