Waste company told female applicant she was ‘taking a job away from a man,’ feds say

Waste management hiring managers called female applicants for drivers “prissy” and said the position was a “man’s job,” a lawsuit filed in Georgia says.

The company has now agreed to settle a sex discrimination lawsuit for $3.1 million, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission said in an Oct. 21 news release.

Waste Industries, a group of co-owned companies comprised of Waste Industries USA., LLC; Transwaste Services, LLC; Waste Industries Atlanta, LLC; and GFL Environmental, Inc., is accused of discriminating against women applying for jobs as equipment and truck drivers in Georgia.

McClatchy News reached out to the their legal counsel for comment Oct. 22 and did not immediately receive a response.

In 2018, a woman applied to be a front-load driver for the company and had the required commercial license and years of experience as a truck driver, according to the lawsuit filed in September 2023.

During the interview with the manager, he asked her, “Why would you want a man’s job?” the lawsuit says.

When she responded that she was qualified, he’s accused of telling her she was “taking a job away from a man.”

Then he said he couldn’t find her application in the system and told her to fax a paper copy, which she couldn’t do, according to the filing.

She called back repeatedly but said she never heard back, the lawsuit says.

Federal officials said she wasn’t the only woman who experienced this treatment. Other female applicants were told their appearances would distract male coworkers and were questioned about their qualifications, saying they seemed “prissy, like girly girls.”

Investigators said this led to “statistically significant hiring shortfalls” in female drivers at the company. Instead of hiring the female applicants, the managers are accused of hiring less qualified men.

Waste Industries agreed to develop recruitment and hiring policies that address staffing disparities, put out a statement saying it doesn’t condone discrimination and train employees on anti-discrimination policy.

This story was originally published October 22, 2024 at 3:34 PM with the headline "Waste company told female applicant she was ‘taking a job away from a man,’ feds say."