Employment Pharmaceutical Company Sued For Discriminating Against Women

Pharmaceutical Company Sued For Discriminating Against Women

Pharmaceutical Company Sued For Discriminating Against Women

Pharmaceutical Company Sued For Discriminating Against Women

Introduction

Discrimination is a social issue that has been present in the world for a long time. Discrimination is a practice that denies equal opportunities to individuals based on their race, gender, age, religion, or other personal characteristics. Discrimination is implemented in different fields, including education, employment, healthcare, and more. In this article, we will discuss the discrimination faced by women in the pharmaceutical industry.

Pharmaceutical companies are responsible for creating and distributing drugs worldwide. However, these companies have a dark history when it comes to gender discrimination. Many of these companies are guilty of overlooking women, both in terms of employment opportunities and drug development. Gender discrimination lawsuits filed against these companies have shed light on the gender disparities that women in the pharmaceutical industry have to face.

This article will focus on Pfizer, one of the world’s leading pharmaceutical companies, which has been sued for discriminating against women.

The Discrimination Against Women in the Pharmaceutical Industry

The pharmaceutical industry is largely dominated by male professionals. This is despite the fact that the majority of pharmaceutical products are designed for the use of women. Women in the industry face discrimination in various forms, including:

1. Unequal pay
2. Lack of equal job opportunities
3. Gender biases when it comes to promotions and other job-related benefits
4. Undervaluation of female skills and experience

Women’s representation in the pharmaceutical industry is already low, with only 20% of pharmaceutical executives being women. This lack of representation can only be compounded by gender discrimination.

Pfizer’s Discrimination Against Women

In 2018, a group of female employees of Pfizer sued the company for gender discrimination. The case is brought under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, which prohibits employers from discriminating based on sex. The lawsuit claims that Pfizer paid women employees less than men who performed the same job and subjected female employees to discrimination in promotions and career advancement opportunities.

This case has received a significant amount of media coverage, and many women in the industry are hoping for justice from the verdict.

Pfizer has released statements denying any kind of gender discrimination or pay inequality. They state that they promote fairness, equity, and inclusion and have systems in place to ensure that all employees are treated fairly regardless of gender or any other personal characteristics.

The Impact of Discrimination on Women

Gender-based discrimination adversely affects women in the pharmaceutical industry, both emotionally and financially. Women’s mental health and self-esteem may be at risk due to underpayment, unfair treatment, bias, and lack of recognition. These feelings result in decreased motivation to excel in their job and affect their performance, which can lead to further discrimination when it comes to assignments and promotions. Unequal pay leads to financial difficulties, which can keep women from progressing, financially saving, and purchasing essential goods.

The Effects of Discrimination on the Pharmaceutical Industry

The pharmaceutical industry’s growth and development rely on diversity, ideas, and innovation. By neglecting women, the industry is neglecting a significant section of the population, which could lead to the disintegration of the industry. Women bring unique perspectives and skills to research and development that cannot be found in men, and the industry’s success relies on those ideas. Neglecting women in the industry affects the rate of drug development, which can be a significant setback both in terms of health and industry development

The Future

The progress made in the field of pharmaceuticals is due to new ideas, innovation, and science. The only way to achieve this is by investing in qualified people to push the industry forward regardless of their gender. Pfizer’s lawsuit and other similar cases will continue to shed light on the gender disparities present in the industry. The hope is that government agencies and constituents will take gender discrimination seriously, and more will be done to prevent it from happening.

Final Thoughts

The pharmaceutical industry has long been a bastion of male-dominated elitism. While the situation is slowly improving, many women still face discrimination when it comes to pay, benefits, and promotion opportunities. Lawsuits such as Pfizer’s recent case are essential to move the industry’s focus to this issue and encourage positive changes. We hope that in the future, the theme of gender equality advances, and women in the pharmaceutical industry can get the recognition and compensation they deserve.


Daiichi Sankyo, a Japanese manufacturer of pharmaceuticals, faces a class action lawsuit from several women who allege that the company discriminated against women, especially those who were pregnant or mothers.  According to the lawsuit filed on behalf of six former employees of the pharma company by law firm Cravath, Swaine & Moore, Daiichi Sankyo’s conduct violated both state and federal anti-discrimination laws protecting pregnant women.

The employees involved in the complaint allege that Daiichi Sankyo has no men in upper levels of management, and that the male-dominated culture of the executive floors translates into discrimination against women hired at lower levels of the company.  Women were promoted less frequently than men, according to the complaint, and were often significantly underpaid compared to their male colleagues.

While the women in the suit state that they were discriminated against even before they became pregnant, pregnancy made the discriminatory behavior of men at Daiichi Sankyo significantly worse.  The women allege that once they were pregnant, they were frequently made fun of by male colleagues.  One man referred to his female co-worker derogatorily as a “baby-maker,” while others mocked colleagues who had recently returned from maternity leave.

Women working for Daiichi Sankyo were told that pregnancy was “career suicide” and would bring their chances for promotion to a swift end.  When women attempted to take maternity leave in accordance with company policies, they were routinely paid less than they should have been, and were later told that even this reduced pay was an overpayment.  The women were forced to pay back wages that had already come to them.

The company is also accused of violating state and federal statutes allowing breastfeeding women to take break time to pump breastmilk for their infants.  This requirement was not followed by Daiichi Sankyo any time the women working for them were at locations outside of the main company office.  Women say they were forced to work long hours while uncomfortable due to being unable to express their breastmilk.

According to the complaint, the company also repeatedly denied mentoring and other career benefits to women that were routinely extended to men.  One woman claims that after giving birth, she was transferred to a different location and awarded no relocation expenses—a move she claims was in direct contravention of company policy that was followed for her male colleagues.

Source: ca.gov