Press & News

Gerald Maatman Quoted in Business Insurance
“Employers score a win with pay bias decision; Supreme Court puts firm limit on filing period”
06/12/2007

Business Insurance quoted Jerry Maatman in the article, “Employers score a win with pay bias decision; Supreme Court puts firm limit on filing period” in its June 4, 2007 issue. The article describes the May 29, 2007 decision in Ledbetter v. Good Year Tire & Rubber Co. in which the Court held in a 5–4 decision that a former employee of Goodyear could not sue the company for the cumulative effect of paying her less than it paid men in the same position.

Jerry noted that, “The ruling is exceedingly significant, as it affirms employers with excellent ammunition to fight off the theories the plaintiffs’ bar has used to expand the scope and size of class actions over pay and promotions…. Since most bet-the-company class actions alleging disparate-treatment employment discrimination focus on pay and promotional opportunities, the Ledbetter ruling ought to cut down on the expansive liability periods—and thus the size of the potential classes—faced in those types of suits.” Jerry further remarked that the ruling, “also counsels that risk managers and human resources professionals should ensure that their corporate antidiscrimination reporting procedures are clearly written and adequately disseminated to employees.”  Jerry added, “In this manner, potential employee complaints over payroll decision can be addresses and, if necessary, investigated, so that the employer can achieve a work environment free of discrimination while also ensuring that it can take full advantage of the statute of limitations defense recognized in the Ledbetter ruling,” referring to the 180-day window allowed under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.