Adweek also reported on the gender discrimination lawsuit filed against Publicis Groupe by a former employee. In fact, Adweek actually provided more thorough and balanced coverage than Advertising Age—despite numerous typos and misspellings of the ex-employee’s name. Regardless, it’s pathetic for Publicis to state the company does not usually comment on pending legal affairs, and then follow through by declaring the EEOC’s dismissal of the charge “reflects the lack of merit to [the ex-employee’s] claims.” For added effect, Publicis even handed the declaration duties to a spokeswoman.
Gee, maybe the French conglomerate could ask former WPP Worldwide Creative Director Neil French to explain matters to a jury. Or better yet, round up the panel of female ad executives from the 2010 Advertising Week event who said glass ceilings are no longer a problem on Madison Avenue. Just be sure to include the responses from other female ad executives who ripped the panelists for being out of touch.
It should be noted that an EEOC dismissal doesn’t amount to much. The EEOC is like any bureaucratic and understaffed governmental agency. That is, it’s a mess. Filing a charge with the EEOC is legally required before filing a lawsuit. Any dismissive ruling by the EEOC, however, does not necessarily negatively impact the validity of a potential case. After all, the EEOC granted the ex-employee a right-to-sue letter. Anyone who is interested in learning more can visit the EEOC website for details.
It should also be noted that despite White women’s progress in our industry, they still lag behind White men in key areas such as salary and position. Too bad EEOC officials couldn’t find the time to walk the halls or check the accounting books at Publicis Groupe agencies for proof.
Hey, Publicis Groupe could instantly clarify the situation by simply offering a gender-based list of employees, indicating titles and salaries. The holding company will undoubtedly get their chief diversity officer on it right away.
Anyway, here’s the Adweek story:
Former Exec Sues Publicis for Sexual Discrimination
In suit, ex-employee claims women were underpaid, seldom promoted
By Janon Fisher
A former female executive of advertising giant Publicis slapped the French company with a $100 million federal sexual discrimination suit on Thursday, claiming women at the company are often underpaid and seldom promoted.
“A Publicis woman's place is in the back of the line, far removed from senior management positions, almost all of which are reserved for men,” claims Monique da Silva Moore, former global healthcare director for MSLGroup, a subsidiary of the ad company.
Da Silva Moore was forced out of the company during a reorganization in January 2010 after 13 years at the company's Boston office, where she acted as a PR agent for healthcare companies, according to court papers.
Following a three-month maternity leave in January, MSLGroup offered her a position in their New York City office. However, Publicis, she says, did not give her or her newborn and two children adequate time to relocate or provide for moving expenses. As a result, she claims, she was forced to turn down the position and leave the company.
Men and women without children who were forced to relocate because of the restructuring, she says, were given time for their move.
Even before the restructuring, Da Silva Moore claims that the gender gap was evident.
“Publicis's glass ceiling might as well be a cement wall,” she says in court papers. “Gender discrimination permeates Publicis’s entire PR practice.”
She says that the MSLGroup leadership team includes only two women worldwide.
Da Silva Moore, who said that she has won 22 awards, including the 2009 Silver Anvil from the Public Relations Society of America, also claims that she was paid less than her male counterparts in Atlanta and New York.
Although Da Silva Moore is the only plaintiff in the suit, other women say they’ve had similar experiences are named in the complaint. Her lawyers are seeking class action status for the case.
The Publicis subsidiary denied her allegations. “We generally do not comment on pending litigation, but we can say that the fact that the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission dismissed Ms. Da Silva’s charge reflects the lack of merit to her claims,” MSLGroup said in a statement.
Her lawyers countered with their own spin. “The EEOC did not issue any finding concerning our client’s charge and did issue a right to sue letter. However, the EEOC’s investigation has no bearing on the litigation,” Janette Wipper, da Silva Moore’s lawyer, told Adweek.
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