You don't get to 500 million friends without being sued, apparently, as the social media giant Facebook now finds itself the target of a sexual harassment and discrimination lawsuit.
The litigation was filed by Chia Hong, who worked as a program manager and later technology partner for Facebook from 2010 to October 2013, when she was suddenly fired and replaced with a male employee with allegedly "less experience and fewer qualifications." In her complaint, Hong claims that she was harassed by her supervisor throughout her three years there. According to CNN, instances of specific harassment included being:
- Asked "why she did 'not just stay home and take care of her children'" instead of coming into work
- Criticized for taking off one day every month to volunteer at her child's school, despite the fact this is allowed by Facebook's company policy
- Ignored, undermined or belittled in group work settings — with Hong as the only woman in the group in many cases
- Tasked with menial assignments, such as serving drinks to male co-workers or putting together parties — tasks, she alleges, that are never given to male employees
- Told she "looks different and talks differently than other team members"
Hong's lawsuit attributes her supervisor's harassment to a companywide pattern of behavior that discriminates against both women and other ethnicities (Hong is of Chinese descent). Hong also links her firing to corporate retaliation, insisting that despite good performance evaluations and salary raises, she was only reviewed negatively (and then subsequently fired) after filing a complaint about her supervisor.
While the lawsuit does not disclose a specific amount of damages, Hong is seeking compensation for a loss of earnings and benefits, as well as "severe emotional distress" endured.
If you've been the victim of discrimination or harassment in the workplace, you may be entitled to damages for your suffering or loss of work. Schedule an appointment with the employment discrimination lawyers of The Meyers Law Firm to take the first steps for your case.