In January, the labor department sued Google for compensation data it refused to disclose after the government’s preliminary inquiry found that the company pays women less than men across the board. A judge ruled last week that Google must provide the labor department with 2014 salary records and contact information for up to 8,000 employees for possible interviews. Herold said the department was concerned that the next phase of the investigation could face obstacles as a result of Google confidentiality rules. The confidentiality policies and the way Google teaches and enforces them can have a negative impact on employees on a regular basis, said the former manager. James Finberg, a San Francisco-based attorney, said he had been in contact with Google employees concerned about pay disparities amid the labor department investigation.

Source: The Guardian July 19, 2017 10:52 UTC