Sanofi makes $15.4M gender bias deal with reps

Sanofi-Aventis sales reps have won a settlement in their gender bias case against the company, but it's a small fraction of the big Novartis deal announced last week. One-tenth of the size, to be exact. Lawyers for the 5,200 current and former Sanofi reps asked a judge to approve a $15.36 million settlement; Novartis agreed to pay $152.5 million to 5,600 female reps.

Like Novartis, Sanofi will be required to overhaul internal policies of pay and promotions for female sales folks. The French drugmaker must beef up its compliance procedures, too. The deal will get a hearing August 3 in Manhattan federal court.

The settlement requires Sanofi to increase females' salaries if gender disparities in pay are found, Reuters reports. Some $13.4 million on top of that $15.36 million will go to adjust employees' pay; after attorney's fees of $4.5 million, the Sanofi women will get a total of more than $24 million. In the Novartis settlement, the company agreed to an improvement program costing $22.5 million, bringing total relief to some $175 million.

- see the proposed settlement
- get the news from Reuters

Related Articles:
Novartis settles gender suit for $175M as earnings climb
Novartis verdict ushers in new gender-bias era
Sanofi-Aventis hit with discrimination suit