In a yearly study Google conducts on its own salaries to address wage equity among women and members of minority groups, the company discovered that it was actually underpaying more men than women for doing similar jobs in software engineering.
In response, Google compensated 10,677 employees an extra $9.7 million to offset the underpaid wages found in the study, the company wrote in a blog post, though it’s unclear what percentage of those recipients were men, CNBC reported. Overall, the tech company increased compensation for 228 underpaid employees, spending a total of about $270,000.
The analysis on its 2018 wages showed that in one group of lower-level software engineers, men “received less discretionary funds than women,” according to Google.
“Our pay equity analysis ensures that compensation is fair for employees in the same job, at the same level, location and performance,” Google’s lead analyst for pay equity and people analytics, Lauren Barbato, wrote in the post. “But we know that’s only part of the story. Because leveling, performance ratings and promotion impact pay, this year, we are undertaking a comprehensive review of these processes to make sure the outcomes are fair and equitable for all employees.”
The findings come on the heels of the company’s handling of a number of issues concerning gender equity in the workplace. That includes the November protest that saw thousands of Google employees worldwide walk out of work after a New York Times report surfaced of a $90 million exit package paid to ex-Android leader Andy Rubin after the company found sexual misconduct claims made against him credible.
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