GILROY, Calif. -- Nob Hill Foods here has agreed to pay $1.3 million to settle four-year-old charges that it illegally discriminated against women and minorities in its hiring and promotion practices.
entry-level bagger jobs, and also kept women from being promoted into supervisory positions.
Nob Hill denied all the allegations of discrimination and said it agreed to the settlement solely to avoid the time, costs and distractions to its business of potential litigation. Under the settlement, Nob Hill did not admit to violating the law.
Nob Hill was acquired by Raley's Supermarkets, West Sacramento, Calif., last month. As parent company, Raley's will be responsible for making sure the agreement is upheld, the EEOC said.
Under the terms of the agreement, $935,000 will be distributed equally among eligible members of the class to settle charges of illegal hiring practices. Another $390,000 will be distributed to women to settle charges they were illegally passed over for promotions. In addition, the company has agreed to revise its sexual harassment policy, implement work force monitoring and remove disability-related questions from its job applications.
Nob Hill has also agreed to promote qualified women to top managerial positions and hire new courtesy clerks who are African-Americans, Asian-Americans, women or people with disabilities.
The EEOC held a press conference in San Francisco to inform potential class members the settlement had been reached and of the provisions of the agreement. Nob Hill will also advertise the agreement in local newspapers in an effort to identify class members, the EEOC said.
