Unlike the typical sex discrimination lawsuit that may accuse an employer of improper or prejudiced behavior against women, a new case filed against Ruby Tuesday alleges that the restaurant chain has discriminated against male workers.
The Washington Post reports that the lawsuit, launched by the federal government's Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), accuses Ruby Tuesday of refusing to offer "a 'lucrative' temporary work assignment" to its males employees precisely because of their gender. The restaurant had posted the internal job listing, described by the Post as "an opportunity to earn extra money in a busy resort town," among its locations in Arizona, Colorado, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, Oregon and Utah, specifically calling for only female applicants, apparently so that the company could avoid having to pay for housing for both female and male employees.
The situation was brought to the EEOC's attention by two male Ruby Tuesday workers, one based in an Oregon restaurant and the other in Missouri, who were outraged that they were denied opportunities to earn more money and barred from competing for the assignment just because they were men. In its lawsuit, the EEOC denounced the job listing as a violation of equal employment opportunity protections afforded by the Civil Rights Acts of 1964 and 1991.
"It's rare to see an explicit example of sex discrimination like Ruby Tuesday's internal job announcement," William Tamayo, an EEOC San Francisco Regional Attorney, said in an official statement. "This suit is a cautionary tale to employers that sex-based employment decisions are rarely justified, and are not consistent with good business judgment."
Male or female, if you've been denied job opportunities or suffered harassment at work because of your gender, you may be entitled to damages. Contact The Meyers Law Firm to counsel with our expert employment discrimination lawyers and take the next steps that your case deserves.