Lawsuit accuses Apple of gender discrimination, unequal pay for women [Video]

Apple is reportedly being sued by two employees who are accusing the tech giant of gender discrimination.

Two women filed a proposed class-action lawsuit Thursday in San Francisco state court, according to Reuters, that would cover more than 12,000 current and former female employees in California. The suit accuses Apple of paying women less than their male counterparts for the same type of work, and claims the company’s performance review system is biased against women, resulting in lower salaries.

The plaintiffs claim Apple has violated California’s Equal Pay Act, which requires “equal pay for employees who perform ‘substantially similar work,’ when viewed as a composite of skill, effort, and responsibility.” In a statement obtained by Reuters, Apple defended its commitment to pay equity, regardless of gender.

“Every year we partner with an independent third-party expert to examine each team member’s total compensation and make adjustments, where necessary, to ensure that we maintain pay …