03:49 PM EDT, 06/13/2024 (MT Newswires) -- Apple ( AAPL ) is facing a class action lawsuit for allegedly underpaying over 12,000 female employees in California compared with male counterparts, media outlets reported Thursday.

Filed in San Francisco Superior Court by two female employees, the lawsuit accuses Apple ( AAPL ) of systematically underpaying females less in its engineering, marketing, and AppleCare divisions, the plaintiffs' lawyers reportedly told the media.

Apple's ( AAPL ) method of determining starting salaries, either based on previous job earnings or on "pay expectations," leads to lower salaries for women, the lawyers reportedly said. The iPhone maker's performance evaluation system is also biased against female employees.

The lawsuit alleges the company sidestepped a California law barring companies from asking about a worker's previous pay by asking applicants for their pay expectations instead.

Apple ( AAPL ) didn't immediately respond to requests for comment by MT Newswires.

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