Bryce Corporation to Pay $50,000 to Settle EEOC Equal Pay Lawsuit

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Bryce Corporation, an integrated manufacturer which produces flexible packaging products for food, household, graphic arts and consumer products, will pay $50,000 and provide other relief to resolve an equal pay lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the agency announced today.  

The EEOC’s complaint charged that Bryce failed to pay equal pay for equal work when Bryce hired a male senior business analyst and paid him $18,000 more than a female senior business analyst hired for the same position at its Memphis facility. The EEOC alleged that when the female learned of the pay disparity 10 months later, she requested equal pay, but Bryce refused to increase her pay to the male’s level.

Failing to pay equal pay for equal work based on gender violates the Equal Pay Act of 1963 (EPA) and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibit discrimination in compensation on the basis of sex. The EEOC filed suit (EEOC v. Bryce Corporation, Civil Action No. 2:19-cv-02586) in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee after attempting to reach a pre-litigation settlement through its conciliation process.

Besides the monetary relief, the two-year consent decree entered by Judge Jon P. McCalla requires that Bryce ensure in the future that employees receive equal pay for equal work on jobs the performance of which requires equal skill, effort and responsibility and which are performed under similar working conditions. Bryce will also conduct training on the EPA and Title VII for employees who interview applicants or make hiring decisions. The decree also requires that Bryce post for two years a notice stating that Bryce will not take any action against employees because they have opposed employment practices made illegal by the EPA or Title VII.

“We are pleased that Bryce moved quickly to resolve this matter without protracted litigation,” said Faye Williams, regional attorney of the EEOC’s Memphis District Office.

Delner Franklin-Thomas, district director of the EEOC’s Memphis District Office, said the relief obtained in the decree will ensure that hiring officials receive training to avoid similar problems in the future. 

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.