U.S. Division of Novartis Guilty of Discrimination Against Female Employees
A federal jury in New York has found the U.S. Division of Novartis AG, guilty of discrimination against female employees on the grounds of pregnancy, promotion and pay. Novartis has been ordered to pay $250 million in punitive damages to a class of more than five and a half thousand women. The ruling comes just days after the same jury had awarded more than $3.3 million to a group of 12 former Novartis employees, who originally filed suit in 2004. Judge Colleen McMahon will calculate the exact amount of back pay, lost benefits and adjusted wages. Novartis intends to appeal.
