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Mastercard has agreed to settle a discrimination lawsuit impacting its minority employees. According to a press release, the fintech company had allegedly been underpaying its female, Black, and Hispanic employees. T he class-action lawsuit — which was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York — claims 7,500 employees in job levels 4-10 across the United States dating back to September 2016 were impacted. Details in the lawsuit share that the women and people of color received less compensation for conducting equivalent work to their male and white counterparts, the New York Times reports. The major fintech company had agreed to pay a $26 million settlement prior to the lawsuits filing on Jan. 14, 2025. The settlement now awaits approval from the court. “We are very pleased to have reached this nationwide settlement with Mastercard, which we believe represents a fair compromise,” Cara E. Greene, partner at Outten & Golden LLP and lead counsel for the...
The workforce is shifting in ways we’ve never seen before, and 2025 is the year to be strategic. From AI jobs changing the future to frontline roles making a major comeback, the opportunities are out there — but thriving in this market requires more than just showing up. “It’s a fresh year, and I know the pressure’s on to hit the ground running,” says Andrew McCaskill. “The job market feels tough right now. Competition is fierce. Black professionals and people of color are facing some unique challenges, from systemic racism to limited access to mentors and sponsors. Despite the challenges, opportunity is still out there, and we always persevere. The key is to work smarter, not harder.” As we explored in a recent AFROTECH™ breakdown of workforce trends, industries like AI, travel, and healthcare are booming, offering new opportunities for professionals ready to pivot or grow. LinkedIn’s Jobs on the Rise 2025 report takes it a step further by spotlighting 25 of the fastest-growing...
The Forbes Union has walked out after publishing the company’s annual “30 Under 30” list. The list’s Class of 2025 features individuals across industries such as sports, entertainment, energy and green tech, artificial intelligence, food and drink, venture capital, marketing and advertising, science, and gaming, among others. Boston Celtics player Jayson Tatum, country artist Shaboozey , actress Ryan Destiny, Miss EmpowHer founder Caitlyn Kumi, and Foundry Technologies founder Jared Quincy Davis are some of the individuals listed. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Forbes (@forbes) A total of 600 individuals are featured, collectively contributing $3.6 billion in funding and amassing over 300 million followers across social media, Forbes states. Unsurprisingly, the list generates significant buzz and excitement among readers. It’s precisely for these reasons that editorial staffers made a calculated decision to stage a walkout, drawing attention to a three-year-long...
As of late October, Boeing’s global diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) department has ceased to exist. Bloomberg reported , citing sources familiar with the matter, that the aerospace company shuttered its DEI team , integrating employees into a human resources group that will focus on talent management and enhancing the employee experience. Sara Liang Bowen, the former vice president of the DEI department, announced her exit via LinkedIn on Oct. 31 after more than five years, but she did not specify whether the closure was the reason. She said it had been the “privilege of my lifetime” to lead the company’s DEI efforts. “Our team strived every day to support the evolving brilliance and creativity of our workforce. The team achieved so much – sometimes imperfectly, never easily – and dreamed of doing much more still,” Bowen wrote. “All of it has been worth it. Because behind every effort there has been a person: An unheard voice, an idea waiting to bloom,” she added. “The people...
Black actors and actresses’ public display of gratitude for Tyler Perry’s support is ongoing. As AFROTECH™ previously told you, Meagan Good shared on NBC’s “Today With Hoda & Jenna” that Perry was the first person to properly compensate her throughout her three-decade career. While Good was anxious to share with Perry what she desired to earn for her leading role in his “Divorce in the Black,” she says that the media mogul was already set on that offer. “He [Perry] was like ‘You deserve this’ ’cause I was already thinking in my head like, what I was going to ask, and I was like, ‘Oh, is this too much?’” Good recounted. She continued, “I was like, ‘I don’t want to lose the job.’ ‘Cause I come from that generation when you’re working in the ’90s and 2000s when women ask for something you are perceived to be a certain kind of way or when you show up a certain way. When you’re assertive, you’re perceived to be a certain kind of way… But that’s what I love about Tyler, ’cause he was...
Joe Budden is getting candid about his career podcast earnings. According to Vibe, the rapper-turned-podcast-host recently shared that he has earned at least $7 million since he made the career transition, pocketing a reported $4 million from that after taxes. “Off podcasting, off of this?” Budden said during an episode of “The Joe Budden Podcast.” “All together in the whole 10 years? About $4 million… Gross is $7 million.” He also opened up about how he and his team managed to get to those numbers, noting that inking partnerships with various brands along the way has been beneficial. “Early on we were doing it for free,” Budden recalled. “Then we hit a little lick, Spotify. Then n—as left, the building crumbled a little bit, and my friends came and saved the day.” As previously reported by AFROTECH™, he shared the real reason that he walked away from Spotify’s initial offer. “In business, there are signs, for me, that show faith in a relationship,” Budden said at the time. “And me...
As annual reviews arise, securing a salary increase may be on your list of professional goals. Whether negotiating within your current role or pursuing new opportunities, mastering the art of salary negotiation can be a pivotal move, ensuring your compensation reflects your skills and expertise. According to Career Builder , a significant 73% of employers in the United States expect candidates to negotiate salary when presented with an initial job offer. However, despite this expectation, a surprising 55% of job candidates choose not to negotiate their salary. This reluctance often stems from factors such as a lack of confidence in negotiation skills, fear of rejection, limited information about industry standards or company compensation, and a perceived lack of bargaining power. Adding to this, data from Pew Research Center reveals there is a gender disparity in salary increases. A higher percentage of men (42%) express satisfaction with the initially offered pay compared to women...
Esther Leonard is working to ensure others have the confidence to not only know their worth but also to demand it. Fortune reports Leonard, a career coach and sourcer, had a growing interest in digital literacy and the wealth gap, following her move to Boston, MA, nearly seven years ago. Leonard previously lived in Chicago, IL, and had years of experience working in education and with nonprofits.
In a previous interview, Zendaya (née Zendaya Coleman) confessed that she sought therapy because she was overly concerned about her finances. “The hope is to have a career where you can be in a position, financially, to just do things you want to do because you enjoy the work and not have to worry about the other things,” she said in a British Vogue (via Yahoo! ) cover story. “But I’m always like, ‘I will always need to work.’ Because if I don’t work, then everything can be gone tomorrow.” According to CNBC, Zendaya is not alone in these types of concerns. In fact, the outlet says a whole new subsection of therapy emerged in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic: financial therapy. “Clients get the best of both worlds when they see a financial therapist: They can begin to process their underlying feelings about money while working out plans for retirement, savings, investments, and other goals,” they said . Not many of us will make the money that Zendaya has made through the years. And...
Are you underpaid compared to your peers? Have you taken on more responsibilities at work without a salary increase? You probably need to advocate for a raise — a task most people find daunting, especially the first time. But you can do it, given the right strategy, proper preparation, and a little confidence. Determine the Right Strategy The first step is to determine what strategy will be the most effective. Who has decision-making authority over your possible salary increase? It may be your immediate supervisor. Depending on your company’s process and your supervisor’s personality, a direct, fact-based appeal may be the most successful approach. But the decision-maker might be two levels above that person, or there may be multiple decision-makers. Some may be persuaded by logic. To appeal to others, you may need to pander a bit. Do Your Research Being able to prove you are underpaid relative to your peers can strengthen your argument for a raise. Find salary data for comparable...
After you have successfully completed a job interview, the inevitable question of your new salary will come up. If you are just starting out as a new engineer, it can be difficult to figure out what salary you should ask for, and whether or not the number you have in mind is correct. In fact, many new software engineers , data scientists , and web designers skip the salary negotiation process altogether, even if employers are flexible on compensation, because the process can be tedious and nerve-wracking. Salary negotiation can be scary, especially when you’re just getting started. However, if you have a specific salary in mind, or think you are worth more than the salary offered by the job, you should not hesitate to negotiate. While you may not have as much experience as other engineers, if you can prove your worth to an employer, you’ll be surprised at how flexible they can be. To help you navigate your first salary negotiation as a new tech worker, we’ve compiled a list of top...
LinkedIn revealed earlier this year that a person is nine times more likely to get a job through a referral . The obvious question is if someone doesn’t have a big professional network, how can they break into getting a middle class job? A lack of social capital becomes a burden for job applicants who feel they have done everything “right” in their journey, yet struggle to secure a career opportunity. Thankfully there are programs whose purpose is to help people build professional networks, and learn technical and soft skills to get a great job. Climb Hire — founded by Nitzan Pelman in 2019 — is one of them. The Bay Area-based non-for-profit startup — funded by Eric Schmidt, a former CEO of Google — creates economic opportunity for hidden talent. They train people to become Salesforce administrators . Salesforce is a massive $16 billion company and according to the IDC , they are projecting over 3.3 million new jobs will be created by the end of 2022. Gaining technical skills is an...