JPMorgan Chase reaches $5M settlement in paternal leave case: report
JPMorgan Chase reportedly reached a $5 million settlement in a case that stemmed from a father who claimed he was discriminated against while trying to take 16 weeks of parental leave.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) filed the complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission concerning Chase employee Derek Rotondo in 2017.
Rotondo claimed he tried to get 14 additional paid weeks after his son was born but was told by Chase that while mothers are eligible for 16 weeks as primary caregivers, non-primary caregivers were only eligible for two weeks.
The financial company, which did not concede responsibility as part of the settlement, said their policy was meant to be gender-neutral, Bloomberg reported.
“Parents need to be treated with equality,” Rotondo said, according to the outlet. “There can’t be an assumption that just because someone is a new mom, she’s going to be doing all the work and that dads just need to be quiet and get back in the office.”
The multimillion-dollar sum will reportedly be disbursed to other employed fathers who experienced similar situations. Rotondo’s lawyers labeled the settlement as the largest of parental leave discrimination complaints in the country, per Bloomberg.
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JPMorgan associate general counsel Reid Broda reportedly released a statement saying the bank welcomed the settlement and thanked Rotondo “for bringing the matter to our attention.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.