On 24 July a class action lawsuit was filed against the two companies for age and race discrimination seeking a jury trial.
The complaint was filed at the United States District Court of Northern District of California, San Jose Division, and is brought by two-former and one current African-American employee of HP, Inc. and Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company.
The complaint alleges that “HP has followed a general practice of discriminating against African- Americans/blacks, and individuals over the age of forty (40), on the basis of race/color and/ or age with respect to promotions and lay-offs by enforcing a corporate policy and practice that expressly and impliedly discourages them from seeking higher paying and higher responsibility positions which has systematically denied African-American/blacks, and individuals over the age of forty (40), the same opportunities as Caucasian and/or younger employees are”.
HP Inc and HPE are sued on four counts, Intentional Discrimination on the Basis of Race in Violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and 42 U.S.C. § 1981, Disparate Impact Discrimination on the Basis of Race In Violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Intentional Discrimination (Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, 29 U.S.C. §§ 623(a)(1)) and Disparate Impact Discrimination (Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, 29 U.S.C. §§ 623(a)(2)).
The plaintiffs seek the judgement that the HP Inc and HPE practices challenged are “illegal and violative to Representative Plaintiffs and members of the proposed class” and amongst other items like compensation, that HP Inc and HPE are ordered to have to implement a for investigating such complaints, provide equal opportunities and eliminate discrimination.