NOVARTIS FINED $295M FOR SEX DISCRIMINATION

Thursday, 20th May

SWISS pharmaceutical giant Novartis was fined $US250 million ($295 million) by a US court overnight, after being found guilty of discriminating against female employees, lawyers said.

A New York jury ordered the company to pay $US250 million after it was found to have discriminated in pay, promotional opportunities and pregnancy-related matters, the lawyers said following a six-year class-action suit.

The jury in the US District Court in Manhattan had earlier awarded compensatory damages of $US3.3 million in total to 12 women who worked as Novartis sales representatives and named as plaintiffs in the case.

The case was brought on behalf of about 5600 current and former female Novartis employees in the United States.

"The jury determined that Novartis must pay an additional $US250 million for the gender discrimination it inflicted on 5600 working women," said Sanford, Wittels & Heisler, the law firm which represented the women.

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