Women Need Not Apply: EEOC Files Class Action Lawsuit Against Performance Food Group

Something may be rotten at Performance Food Group. 

This week, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced a major lawsuit against a national food distributor for pattern or practice gender discrimination. According to the complaint, Performance Food Group (PFG) has a long history of refusing to hire women for several "operative positions" at its distribution facilities. The EEOC alleges that women have been systematically excluded from warehouse jobs like driver, forklift operator, mechanic, meat packer, and many others. 

The complaint details blatant and pervasive discrimination throughout the company, where gender discrimination was standard operating procedure in hiring decisions. High-ranking company officials openly declared their preference for male employees, stating that women were not capable of warehouse work and pressuring supervisors to fire their female employees. According to the complaint, one vice president asked, "Why would we ever waste our time bringing in females?" And a warehouse selector told a female applicant point-blank that the company "would not hire female drivers." 

Outmoded ideas about the capacity and commitment of female workers, such as the ideas allegedly expressed by management that women "were a distraction" and that women "couldn't do the job," are the sort of stereotypes that keep women out [PDF] of many traditionally male occupations — especially in blue-collar and technical fields. Several of the job categories identified in the lawsuit are among what the Department of Labor calls "nontraditional occupations" for women, meaning that women comprise 25 percent or less of people holding that job. Breaking into these high-paying, high-demand positions could mean a 30 percent wage increase or more [PDF] for many women. They also come with better benefits and advancement opportunities. 

The EEOC's lawsuit brings attention to persistent occupational segregation that limits job opportunities and economic security for women. As we mark the fiftieth anniversary of the Equal Pay Act this month, it's more important than ever to identify and eliminate the barriers to achieving equality in the workplace. Many employers continue to pay women less for work in the same job as men or make it difficult for women to enter higher-paying, nontraditional jobs. Now is the time for all employers to end this unlawful discrimination and recognize women as full and equal participants in our nation’s workforce.