A lawsuit has been filed against Playstation Parent company and platform owner Sony for alleged gender discrimination and wrongful termination. A former PlayStation employee filed a lawsuit on Nov. 22, alleging that Sony “intentionally violated” labour laws by “intentionally, knowingly and/or intentionally paying women less than men for work that is essentially the same or similar”. The lawsuit, filed against Sony Interactive Entertainment in California, finds that the company: “Cultivates a work environment that discriminates against female employees.” Former PlayStation IT security analyst Emma Majo is suing the company for “gender discrimination, harassment and wrongful termination” Among the many issues listed in the lawsuit, Majo said that she sometimes had to send inquiries through a male intern because inquiries from senior female employees would be ignored. She also claimed that she was “effectively demoted” after inquiring about promotions and that she “could never get an answer” when asked how to move up within the company. Majo also added that there are “separate processes for men and women” when it comes to promotions and that “HR creates resistance when women try to get promoted”. “[Majo] claims that her dismissal was caused by gender bias against women and bias against those who voiced gender bias, “the lawsuit concludes. As a result of the lawsuit, Majo is seeking a jury trial on behalf of all female employees who have worked in Sony’s California offices in the past four years. “[…] Due to the behaviour of Sony … [Majo] and all nationwide class members have suffered and continue to suffer harm, including but not limited to lost earnings, lost accomplishments and other financial losses, humiliation, embarrassment, emotional and physical distress and anguish, “the lawsuit reads. In light of the current outcry against Activision Blizzard for alleged harassment, discrimination and other professional offences, Sony will respond cautiously to these allegations. Especially since Jim Ryan, PlayStation boss, recently criticized ActiBlizz CEO Bobby Kotick for his “deeply worrying” reaction to the company’s ongoing lawsuit.
