The Equal Employment Opportunities Commission at the Ministry of Economy and Industry has filed a lawsuit with the Regional Labor Court in Tel Aviv for approximately NIS 157,000 against the University Laboratory for Transportation, due to gender pay gaps, discrimination based on sex and parenthood, and violation of an employee’s rights after her return from maternity leave.
According to the lawsuit, filed through Adv. Miral Nakhoul, Tel Aviv and Central Regional Commissioner at the Equality Commission, the employee was employed as a testing engineer and was the only woman in her position. Despite her seniority, experience, and performing the same work as her male colleagues, her salary remained consistently lower, including compared to employees hired after her. The pay gaps ranged between NIS 500 and NIS 2,000 per month.
Her repeated requests for salary equalization were rejected, including during her pregnancy. After she approached the company’s management on the matter, her treatment worsened to the point where she was forced to resign from her position.
A comprehensive review conducted by the Commission, which included an examination of payslips and additional data, revealed that the employer failed to prove that the pay gaps were not a result of discrimination based on sex and parenthood, and that its conduct was in violation of the Equal Pay for Equal Work Law and the Equal Opportunities in Employment Law. In its responses to the Equality Commission, the company did not deny the existence of pay gaps, claiming they were “minimal” differences resulting from individual negotiations and market forces.
Adv. Firas Farag, the National Commissioner for Equal Employment Opportunities: “Discrimination against women in the workplace is not only a social injustice but also a managerial and economic failure. In an economy that needs skilled professionals, harming skilled female employees due to their gender or parenthood damages productivity, growth, and economic resilience. The Equal Employment Opportunities Commission works through information, guidance, and incentives for employers, but alongside this, we will continue to strengthen enforcement. Employers who choose to ignore the law will bear the legal consequences.”
The Equal Employment Opportunities Commission at the Ministry of Economy and Industry works to eradicate discrimination and promote true equality in the labor market through enforcement, guidance, and professional consultation. Employees who believe their rights have been violated are invited to contact the Commission for advice.
Employees who believe their rights have been violated are invited to contact the Commission for advice.
To submit an online application: https://govforms.gov.il/mw/forms/Shivion@moital.gov.il
For the Equal Employment Opportunities Commission website: https://www.gov.il/he/departments/topics/equal-employment/govil-landing-page
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