Ex-Mergermarket employees allege discrimination

Two former employees of Mergermarket Ltd. are suing the news and data provider, alleging they were discriminated against on the basis of gender and ethnicity.

Hilary Canada of The Wall Street Journal writes, “In an emailed statement, Mergermarket said: ‘This is a transparent ploy by two former disgruntled employees who have set up a rival service. We have strict policies in place which prohibit discrimination of any kind’” Mergermarket, which is backed by the private-equity firm BC Partners, said it wouldn’t comment beyond the statement.

“Ms. Girimonte and Ms. Santana also allege that during their respective time out on maternity leave, action was taken against them to withhold bonuses or redistribute work to male counterparts.

“They also claim they were paid less than their male counterparts, and that employees in Mergermarket’s Latin America offices weren’t compensated equally to employees in other parts of the world. Ms. Girimonte, who was born in Argentina but worked in Mergermarket’s New York and San Francisco offices, was in charge of research teams in Buenos Aires and London, according to the complaint. Ms. Girimonte and Ms. Santana, who is originally from Brazil, allege they were paid less than their colleagues because they are from Latin America.”

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