Joe & The Juice Resolves Sex Discrimination Charge

LOS ANGELES – Joe & the Juice, a nationwide restaurant specializing in juice, coffee and sandwiches, has settled a federal charge of discrimination filed with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) for $715,000 and other injunctive relief, the federal agency announced today.

According to the charge filed with the EEOC, since at least June 2017, Joe & the Juice failed to recruit, hire and promote females in their restaurants.

The EEOC investigated the allegations and found reasonable cause to believe that Joe & the Juice violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. A resolution in this matter was attained through the EEOC’s pre-litigation administrative conciliation process.

Without admitting liability, Joe & the Juice has agreed to enter into a nationwide four-year conciliation agree­ment with the EEOC. Joe & the Juice has agreed to provide $715,000 in monetary relief to establish a class fund for female applicants that were denied hire into in-store non-management positions. Additionally, the company has also agreed to appoint an EEO monitor to oversee the terms of the agreement and continue to make good-faith efforts to recruit, hire and promote females into in-store positions. Joe & the Juice has further agreed to develop and implement a nationwide internal online promotion platform to ensure that the workforce has equal access to promotional opportunities. The company has also agreed to revise its complaint and investigation processes as necessary, provide training for all in-store and management employees, and to conduct anonymous climate surveys for their in-store workforce. The EEOC will monitor the compliance with this agreement for the term of the four-year agreement.

“It is imperative that individuals have equal access to employment and promotion, regardless of sex. It is encouraging to see Joe & the Juice take affirmative steps to increasing female representation in in-store positions,” said Christine Park-Gonzalez, acting director of the EEOC’s Los Angeles District.

The EEOC’s Los Angeles District Office is responsible for receiving and investigating charges of employment discrimination and conducting agency litigation in several counties in California and Nevada, the state of Hawaii, American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, and Wake Island.

For more information regarding sex-based discrimination, visit https://www.eeoc.gov/sex-based-discrimination.

The EEOC advances opportunity in the workplace by enforcing federal laws prohibiting employ­ment discrimination. More information is available at www.eeoc.gov. Stay connected with the latest EEOC news by subscribing to our email updates.