An Alabama woman has filed a class-action lawsuit against Walmart, claiming the giant retailer’s requirement for wearing uniform pants discriminates against women.
Walmart requires male and female delivery drivers nationwide to wear a uniform or face termination, according to Diana Webb’s lawsuit, which was filed Tuesday in federal court in the northern district of Alabama. Webb’s 13-page lawsuit accuses Walmart of sexual discrimination under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, according to court documents.
Webb, who lives in Madison County, alleges in the lawsuit that Walmart offered to provide her a work uniform when she began working at the company’s distribution center in Cullman, Alabama, in July 2020, AL.com reported. Webb said the company gave her shirts that fit but only offered pants and shorts in men’s sizes and designs, according to the website.
An Alabama woman who works for Walmart is suing the company in a federal class action lawsuit, alleging the giant retailer provides work pants and laundry services for men but not for female truckers. https://t.co/jllWKMsQvo pic.twitter.com/IHjzHBj0AP
— AL.com (@aldotcom) January 13, 2022
According to the lawsuit, Walmart will not reimburse female employees who purchase their own pants. Walmart provides laundry services for the clothes designed to fit men, the lawsuit alleges, but will not launder clothes female drivers buy on their own, AL.com reported.
“This is blatant sex discrimination by Walmart against its female drivers,” the lawsuit claims.
In the statement to AL.com, Walmart said it does not require employees to wear pants provided by the company. The statement added that the company “is committed to providing our private fleet drivers with various clothing options to meet our guidelines.”
“We continue to review our clothing offerings for male and female drivers,” the statement reads. “We take these allegations seriously and will respond in court as appropriate.”
Eric Artrip, the Huntsville attorney who filed the lawsuit, told AL.com that Walmart should reimburse Webb between $300 and $400 for the cost of work pants she bought and laundered.
“It’s not a lot of money, but if you’re making the women pay it and not making the men pay it, that’s not fair,” Artrip told the news outlet. “The law requires that people be treated equally. It doesn’t require Walmart to pay for the uniforms. But what it does require is (that) Walmart treat the men and the women the same and that’s all we’re asking for.”
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