A research analyst with Goldman Sachs Group Inc. has filed a sexual discrimination lawsuit against the banking firm, alleging that she was denied a promotion, salary raises and other bonuses because of her gender.
According to Bloomberg, Goldman Sachs executive director Sonia Pereiro-Mendez claims that she was deliberately left out of meetings and client dinners as part of an attempt by upper management to leave her "publicly undermined." One example of this alleged public undermining involved management assigning Pereiro-Mendez to a desk that had been previously been used by an administrative assistant. Additionally, Pereiro-Mendez alleges that her male colleagues who performed similar duties received higher compensation, one of whom was promoted to managing director over her.
In her lawsuit, the plaintiff also accuses Goldman Sachs of retaliating against her for taking six months of maternity leave in 2012, a month of vacation time and another two months to receive treatment for a "pre-cancerous condition."
For its part, Goldman Sachs have denied the accusations of discrimination in court documents, instead insisting that Pereiro-Mendez was among the lowest 25 percent of its employees in 2010, and that that poor performance was the reason for not awarding her with a promotion, raise or bonus. However, Pereiro-Mendez insists that she was told "she would receive 'no bonus whatsoever' for 2011" shortly after telling her managers that she was pregnant. Additionally, she claims that another executive with Goldman Sachs "told her that [the] managers 'want to get rid of [her].'"
If you believe you're being withheld pay or advancement at work because of your gender, age, race or religion, schedule an appointment with the employment discrimination lawyers of The Meyers Law Firm to discuss your next steps.