PlayStation lawsuit filed by former employee for gender discrimination

Sony Interactive Entertainment now faces a class action lawsuit against a former security analyst employee. The class action PlayStation lawsuit focuses on gender discrimination and wrongful determination after the employee spoke up about it.

What issues does the class action lawsuit against Sony list?

Former IT security analyst Emma Majo filed the class action lawsuit on November 22 in California court. Women at the company, Majo said, were not paid equally like male counterparts who held similar roles; women were also denied promotions and compensation equal to their male coworkers.

Violating the United States’ Equal Pay Act, the lawsuit against PlayStation claims the company follows “systemic policies, practices, and procedures that discriminate on the basis of gender”. It also mentions “gender discrimination is Sony’s standard operating procedure rather than a sporadic occurrence.”

Majo had been part of the company in the same position for six years. Unlike her male coworkers, Sony denied Majo promotions after she requested them. When Majo brought her concerns to the company with a signed statement earlier in 2021, Sony let her go. Their claim for her termination? The closure of an internal department. However, Majo notes she was not in the department that closed. Speaking up about the gender bias in her workplace, Majo says, caused her termination.

After her termination, Majo brought her problems to the court. Filing a complaint with the Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) in California, Majo got a “notice of right to sue” in November.

The cycle goes on thanks to the PlayStation lawsuit

Gender discrimination and sexual harassment aren’t unheard of in the video game industry. Along with the new PlayStation lawsuit, Activision Blizzard has been particularly notable in the news for their numerous lawsuits circling around similar issues; their employees recently petitioned for the removal of the CEO, Bobby Kotick. And these aren’t the only two companies seeing lawsuits: other major video game giants such as Ubisoft and Riot have been facing similar allegations.

Ironically, PlayStation executive Jim Ryan critiqued Activision Blizzard for their workplace practices not too long ago. Ryan was, according to his email, “disheartened and frankly stunned” by Activision Blizzard’s actions. Now, it seems, the tables have turned with the PlayStation lawsuit.

As continuously upsetting it is to see news like this come out everyday, my reaction to it is never of surprise. Companies may try to hide behind Activision Blizzard as they take the heat, but let it be known: it won’t be swept under the rug.

Via, Polygon.