A total of $5 million dollars will be paid to male employees at JP Morgan Chase who were denied the same parental leave policies as female employees if a federal court approves a class action lawsuit settlement filed today in a federal court in Ohio.
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 he was told new dads were generally only allowed two weeks of paid leave. The ACLU of Ohio鈥檚 Legal Director Freda Levenson says it settled a suit filed on behalf of him and others denied equal leave under the company鈥檚 policy.
鈥淗opefully the filing of this lawsuit will be a big wake up call to other employers," Levenson says.
Levenson says for women to compete on an even playing field, men have to be able to play an active role at home. A federal court still has to approve the settlement and Chase is not admitting guilt.
