Home Depot, the world’s largest
home improvement retailer, is to pay $5.5m (£3m) to settle a discrimination
case brought by employees in the US.
The US Equal Employment
Opportunity Commission (EEOC) yesterday announced the simultaneous filing and settlement
of a class action brought by Home Depot workers at the firm’s Colorado
stores.
The action claimed that there
was "a hostile work environment based on gender, race, and national
origin, and that the company retaliated against employees who complained about
discrimination".
The EEOC said Home Depot, which
has around 35 stores in Colorado,
denies the allegations.
The voluntary settlement to
current and former staff will need the approval of a US
district judge in Colorado.
It includes $3m (£1.6m) to be
shared between the 38 individuals who jointly filed the action, and $2.5m
(£1.4m) to set up a fund for others who were harmed by the alleged
discrimination.
In addition, the deal agreed
between Home Depot and the EEOC calls for the retailer to:
– Provide anti-discrimination
training to employees, including managers and HR employees
– Appoint an EEO co-ordinator
to oversee the investigations of employee complaints of discrimination
– Submit quarterly reports to
the EEOC and remain under monitoring for 30 months.
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