Outback Steakhouse fined $21m for sex discrimination

[Ichingcarpenter]

OUTBACK Steakhouse has agreed to pay $US19 million ($21 million) to settle a class-action lawsuit alleging sex discrimination against thousands of women at hundreds of its US restaurants, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission said.

The Australian-themed restaurant discriminated against female employees and denied them equal opportunities for advancement.

The lawsuit, filed by the EEOC in federal court in Colorado in 2006, said female employees couldn't get promoted to the higher-level profit-sharing management positions in the restaurants and were denied favorable job assignments, particularly kitchen management experience, which was required for employees to be considered for the top management job.

Tom Flanagan, a joint venture partner, allegedly said female managers had "let him down" and "lost focus" when they had children, ABC's Denver affiliate reported.

He also allegedly said women managers had trouble "saying no" and expressed a desire for "cute girls" to work as servers.

A Denver attorney was the lead lawyer in the lawsuit.

The company had no immediate comment on the settlement.

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/business/breaking-news/outback-steakhouse-fined-21m-for-sex-discrimination/story-e6freuyr-1225814628876

[Lasher]

1. The toon is a nice touch.

Apocalypse Cow, heh heh.

[BeatleBoot]

2. I almost choked on my Smoked Kielbasa and Kapusta

when I read that cartoon.

I ate at Outback once. I can fuck up food just as well at home, thank you.