California Civil Rights Department announces $14M settlement with Microsoft

The California Civil Rights Department announced that it has reached a proposed $14.425M settlement with Microsoft to resolve “allegations of retaliation and discrimination against employees for their use of protected leave, including parental, disability, pregnancy and family care leave.” State and federal laws prohibit employers from interfering with an employee’s use of protected forms of leave, such as leave to bond with a new child, address a serious health condition, or care for a family member, the agency pointed out. As part of the settlement, which is subject to court approval, Microsoft has “committed to take a number of proactive steps to prevent future discrimination and provide monetary relief to employees who used company-protected leave in California between 2017 and 2024,” it added.