Posted February 12th, 2013.
Daiichi Sankyo, a maker of cholesterol and blood pressure drugs, is now a defendant in a case filed before a federal court in San Francisco yesterday. Six current and former female sales representatives employed in the Japanese firm’s North American division are accusing the company of gender discrimination in the workplace. According to the lawsuit, the women are underpaid compared to their male counterparts; they are promoted much more slowly than men are; and pregnant women, as well as mothers with young children, are treated worse than other employees.
The other plaintiffs, on the other hand, said that they were demoted, fired or forced to resign, recounting their own experiences while at the employment of Daiichi Sankyo. For its part, the U.S. headquarters of Daiichi Sankyo, through a female spokesperson, said that it complies with all laws regarding equal opportunity and nondiscrimination. The company currently has about 3,000 employees in the United States.
This article originally appeared in the The Japan Daily Press.