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Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Clorox's women-in-management hiring goal helps revive man's bias lawsuit
This story was originally published on HR Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily HR Dive newsletter. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals partially reversed a lower court's summary judgment grant to Clorox in a former sales employee's discrimination suit, holding Friday that the plaintiff raised genuine issues of material fact as to whether he was wrongfully terminated because of his gender. Clorox fired the plaintiff in Toney v. The Clorox Co., a 63-year-old White man, amid a reorganization of its sales staff and promoted a 35-year-old White woman to replace him, according to court documents. He alleged discrimination on the basis of race, sex and age, but the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington granted summary judgment to Clorox, holding that the plaintiff failed to show pretext for discrimination. The 9th Circuit reversed only on the basis that the plaintiff had shown that a reasonable jury could conclude that Clorox's reasons for firing the plaintiff were internally inconsistent and discriminatory on the basis of gender. The court said that a Clorox program to achieve gender 'representation targets' was sufficient evidence to defeat the company's motion for summary judgment. The 9th Circuit's decision may serve as a cautionary one for employers as they decide how to frame diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in the current business climate. The court specifically referenced Clorox's IGNITE strategy, a component of which calls on the company to achieve 'parity across total company, women, people of color' in addition to ensuring pay equity. In his opening brief to the 9th Circuit, the plaintiff alleged that Clorox measured 'parity' using percentages, citing a 2021 annual report. The plaintiff also cited a Clorox press release announcing the company's inclusion in the 2021 Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index. In the release, Clorox CEO Linda Rendle was quoted as saying that she was 'proud that women leaders make up 50% of Clorox's executive team since it's important we represent the diverse consumers we serve around the world, the majority of whom are women." The plaintiff argued that a jury could find that Clorox 'overreached' with its DEI policies, 'crossing the line from permissible value statements to goals and preferences that drove hiring and firing decisions.' Clorox claimed that managerial concerns about the plaintiff's employment competencies, combined with the reorganization of its sales staff, were the nondiscriminatory reasons for his termination. Per the 9th Circuit, the company specifically cited the plaintiff's issues with strategic leadership and reports that 'he could be difficult to work with.' The plaintiff countered that he received positive annual evaluations and that little pretermination evidence suggested that Clorox had concerns about his performance. Ultimately, the 9th Circuit said Clorox's goal of increasing the number of women managers was 'sufficiently 'specific and substantial'' to defeat summary judgment and 'raises material questions of fact concerning Clorox's reasons for firing him.' The case is one of several recent decisions involving claims of discrimination by a majority-group plaintiff. A lawsuit brought by a male former Accenture employee earlier this month similarly claimed that the company promoted female workers over the plaintiff in pursuit of a gender parity goal. The 9th Circuit's focus on specific forms of DEI goals — namely, the use of the word 'parity' and the effort to increase the number of women managers at Clorox — illustrates the legal risks such goals may create for employers. A recent Bloomberg Law analysis found that the highest-risk DEI programs involved instances in which job opportunities were reserved exclusively for candidates of a particular race, sex or other protected characteristic. Meanwhile, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which has increasingly taken an anti-DEI stance in its enforcement and guidance, published documents in March categorizing the use of quotas or the balancing of workforces based on protected characteristics as illegal under federal civil rights laws. Weeks later, a former EEOC commissioner discouraged the use of policies that ask hiring managers to meet quotas or arbitrarily set hiring goals. Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
07-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Voya Financial schedules announcement of first-quarter 2025 results
NEW YORK, April 07, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Voya Financial, Inc. (NYSE: VOYA) announced today that it will host a webcast and conference call for its first-quarter 2025 financial results on Wednesday, May 7, 2025, from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. ET. Voya will issue a press release announcing the company's first-quarter 2025 financial results after the market closes on Tuesday, May 6, 2025. When issued, the press release – along with the company's investor supplement and analyst presentation – will be available on the company's investor relations website at The conference call webcast, which will include a slide presentation, will be streamed live on the company's investor relations website at Please access the webcast at least 15 minutes prior to the start of the conference call to download and install any necessary software. A replay of the webcast will be available at starting at approximately 1 p.m. ET on May 7, 2025. About Voya Financial® Voya Financial, Inc. (NYSE: VOYA) is a leading health, wealth and investment company with approximately 10,000 employees who are focused on achieving Voya's aspirational vision: "Clearing your path to financial confidence and a more fulfilling life." Through products, solutions and technologies, Voya helps its approximately 15.7 million individual, workplace and institutional clients become well planned, well invested and well protected. Benefitfocus, a Voya company and a leading benefits administration provider, extends the reach of Voya's workplace benefits and savings offerings by engaging directly with approximately 11.9 million employees in the U.S. Certified as a "Great Place to Work" by the Great Place to Work® Institute, Voya is purpose-driven and committed to conducting business in a way that is economically, ethically, socially and environmentally responsible. Voya has earned recognition as one of the World's Most Ethical Companies® by Ethisphere; a member of the Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index; and a "Best Place to Work for Disability Inclusion" on the Disability Equality Index. For more information, visit Follow Voya Financial on Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram. VOYA-IR VOYA-CF View source version on Contacts Media Contact: Donna Sullivan(860) Investor Contact: Mei Ni Chu(212) 309-8999IR@
Yahoo
27-01-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Voya Financial to present at BofA Securities 2025 Financial Services Conference
NEW YORK, January 27, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Voya Financial, Inc. (NYSE: VOYA) announced today that Heather Lavallee, chief executive officer, and Michael Katz, chief financial officer, are scheduled to participate in a fireside chat at the BofA (Bank of America) Securities Financial Services Conference. The conference will take place on Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025, at 3:30 p.m. ET when Lavallee and Katz will participate in a question-and-answer session covering a variety of industry and company topics. The webcast will be available at Those interested in listening to the presentation should log on to the website at least 15 minutes prior to the start of the presentation to download and install any necessary software. About Voya Financial® Voya Financial, Inc. (NYSE: VOYA) is a leading health, wealth and investment company with approximately 9,000 employees who are focused on achieving Voya's aspirational vision: "Clearing your path to financial confidence and a more fulfilling life." Through products, solutions and technologies, Voya helps its 15.2 million individual, workplace and institutional clients become well planned, well invested and well protected. Benefitfocus, a Voya company and a leading benefits administration provider, extends the reach of Voya's workplace benefits and savings offerings by engaging directly with over 12 million employees in the U.S. Certified as a "Great Place to Work" by the Great Place to Work® Institute, Voya is purpose-driven and committed to conducting business in a way that is economically, ethically, socially and environmentally responsible. Voya has earned recognition as: one of the World's Most Ethical Companies® by Ethisphere; a member of the Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index; and a "Best Place to Work for Disability Inclusion" on the Disability Equality Index. For more information, visit Follow Voya Financial on Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram. VOYA-IR VOYA-CF View source version on Contacts Media Contact: Donna Sullivan (860) 580-2980 Investor Contact: Mei Ni Chu (212) 309-8999 IR@
