Former Executive Sues Yahoo! For Wrongful Termination

A former Yahoo! Inc. executive is suing the Internet giant for wrongful termination. The suit, which was filed this month in a San Jose federal court, is also charging gender discrimination at the company’s Sunnyvale headquarters. He’s seeking unspecified damages for violations of state and federal employment laws and discrimination.

The man, who worked as a senior director in the company’s editorial division for three years. He was terminated in January of last year. He says that there was no valid reason for his termination. The plaintiff alleges that the company’s quarterly evaluation system, under its chief executive officer Marissa Mayer, is unfair.

According to the lawsuit, under the quarterly review program, executives were able to manipulate performance reviews in order to cut operating costs and bring more diversity to the Silicon Valley company. Under Mayer’s tenure, the number of women in leadership positions grew 1 percent between 2014 and 2015. The suit compares the company’s performance review system to “employee stacking” programs at large companies like General Electric and Microsoft that are no longer used.

A spokesperson for Yahoo! says that she couldn’t comment on the specific case. She emphasized the company’s commitment to diversity said that “the quarterly performance-review process is not only fair but has improved our overall performance.”

The plaintiff is now working for the Silicon Valley Business Journal as its editor-in-chief.

Taking legal action against a former employer, let alone going up against one this large and powerful, can be daunting. However, if you have a valid discrimination or sexual harassment case, an experienced California employment attorney can work to seek appropriate compensation for you.

Source: Silicon Valley Business Journal, “Lawsuit alleges Yahoo engaged in discrimination under Mayer’s watch,” Jon Wile and Craig Douglas, Oct. 07, 2016