JPMorgan Chase & Co. agreed to settle a class action lawsuit brought by male employees who said they were denied parental leave because they were men. If approved by a federal court, the company would pay them $5 million.
A new father wanted to take the 16 full weeks of parental leave offered by his employer, JP Morgan Chase, but says he was told new dads were generally only allowed two weeks of paid leave. The ACLU of Ohio’s Legal Director Freda Levenson said it settled a suit filed on behalf of him and others denied equal leave under the company’s policy.
“Hopefully, the filing of this lawsuit will be a big wake-up call to other employers,” Levenson said.
She said for women to compete on an even playing field, men have to be able to play an active role at home.
