The female leader of a workforce hiring firm accused in a federal lawsuit of discriminating against women at offices in Hoover and Leeds denied wrongdoing and said federal officials have failed to clearly detail their concerns to them.
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission last week sued the Greenville, S.C.-based staffing company WorkSmart, accusing the company of discriminating against women after a client requested only male laborers be sent to work for them.
The violations are alleged to come from WorkSmart offices in Hoover and Leeds.
“We have made repeated good-faith efforts to resolve this issue with the EEOC for over a year, but despite our requests for dialogue, it has rejected our efforts to meet and has failed to provide clarity on its concerns,” WorkSmart CEO Vanessa Barnes told AL.com. “As a woman-owned, women-led business, we reject discrimination in any form and remain committed to fairness, integrity, and equal opportunity for all.”
The allegation is a violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination because of an individual’s sex.
“Unfortunately, some companies engage in sex-based hiring practices that have no place in today’s workforce,” Marsha Rucker, regional attorney for the EEOC’s Birmingham District Office, said in an earlier statement announcing the lawsuit. “The EEOC remains vigilant to prevent sex-based hiring practices across all sectors of employment.”
Federal authorities also said that they had attempted to reach a pre-litigation settlement with the company before filing the lawsuit.
Still, Barnes called the allegation a first for her company after more than 35 years in business.
“Over the years, we have placed thousands of diverse candidates in varying roles across numerous industries, always with a commitment to fairness and opportunity, and without incident,” she said.
The federal government is seeking back pay, front pay, compensatory damages, and punitive damages for allegedly affected female workers.
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