Walt Disney reached an agreement to pay $43.3 million to resolve a lawsuit claiming its California female employees earned $150 million less than their male colleagues over an eight-year period, the plaintiffs’ attorneys confirmed on Monday.
If the petition is granted, thousands of women who have worked for Disney since April 1, 2015, will receive checks to compensate for the wage disparity. The outlet notes: Disney continues to dispute the validity of the study, but has agreed to use it as a basis on which to apportion the settlement funds. Under the agreement, the plaintiffs’ attorneys can seek judicial approval for up to one third of the settlement amount, or about $14.4 million, to cover legal fees, plus $1.8 million in litigation expenses.