Google faces revised gender pay lawsuit in US

Four women have filed a lawsuit alleging they were paid less by Google than their male colleagues.

The lawsuit claims the tech business is at fault for asking new employees about their previous salaries, something that has recently been banned in California in an effort to narrow the gender pay gap.

Led by lawyer James Finberg, the women are arguing that Google's use of a previous salary to set someone's starting pay means that men are given higher starting salaries and, as a result, have better prospects.

New (KOSDAQ: 160550.KQ - news) female employees also make less than men over time because the company also bases an employee's job grade on their previous pay, the suit claims.

It adds: "Google's under-levelling of women not only resulted in Google paying them lower base salaries than if they had been properly levelled, but also resulted in Google paying them smaller bonuses and fewer stock units and options than if Google had placed them in the proper level."

The suit is a revised version of one dismissed in December after a California state judge said it was too broad.

The complainants were given 30 days to file a new complaint on behalf of only those who had faced pay discrimination.

The new lawsuit represents women in engineering, management, sales and early childhood education.

Google has previously said its own analysis shows no gender pay gap.

In a statement on Wednesday, Google said it disagreed with the lawsuit's allegations.

Spokeswoman Gina Scigliano said: "Job levels and promotions are determined through rigorous hiring and promotion committees, and must pass multiple levels of review, including checks to make sure there is no bias in these decisions."