Woman in sales and marketing sues Intel over pay

Former sales rep’s male peers were making at least $50K more; she was fired for complaining

When Cristina Wong, after a dozen years and three promotions at Intel, discovered her male peers were making considerably more money than she was, she asked her manager if she was the least-paid member of the firm’s sales marketing group, she said in a new lawsuit against the iconic Santa Clara semiconductor maker.

“He responded that she was at least making more than the intern,” the suit said.

Her manager then confirmed that her “pay disparity was significant,” Wong alleged in the suit, which was filed Friday in San Francisco federal court.

Though her superior reportedly agreed she wasn’t being paid equitably, Intel terminated her less than three months later, Wong claimed.

Intel did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Wong said in the suit that, after talking to her manager, she was directed to address the issue via the company’s online employee-concerns hotline. Hotline staff promised to investigate, the suit said.

“Wong was told that Intel was aware of her pay disparity,” according to the suit. “Wong was informed that she was being paid at least $40,000 less than the minimum compensation for her grade level, and that her peers were being paid at least $50,000 more than her.”

No action was taken to correct the purported disparity, and her complaint about discrimination was a primary reason Intel fired her, the suit said.

“After raising the issue of her pay disparity, on October 12, 2017, Ms. Wong was informed that her last day at Intel would be December 31, 2017,” the suit said.

Wong is seeking unspecified damages.

Her legal action follows another from four women suing Google and seeking class-action status over alleged gender discrimination in pay. Google denies it pays women less than men.