Manatee County employer must pay $133,000 after discriminating against women, feds say

Sysco West Coast Florida will pay more than $133,000 to 95 women who experienced discrimination during the hiring process, federal officials said.

Sysco West Coast Florida is a subsidiary of one of the nation’s largest food service distributors. The women had applied for outbound selector positions at the company’s facility in Palmetto, according to a news release from the Department of Labor.

Each woman is set to receive about $1,400 from the company, officials said.

Sysco operates a food distribution center at 3000 69th St. E., Palmetto.

A compliance review from January 2018 to December 2019 found that the company’s hiring practices violated their rights under a federal law that prohibits sex discrimination, according to the Department of Labor.

“Federal contractors like Sysco West Coast Florida are required to make certain its employment practices comply with all federal law, including those that seek to eliminate gender-based barriers to equal employment,” said Diana Sen, acting Southeast regional director of the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs.

Sysco West Coast Florida agreed to make sure its hiring policies are free from discrimination, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. The company will also offer jobs to nine of the women as positions become available.

The Bradenton Herald reached out for comment from Sysco, but the company did not respond as of Wednesday afternoon.

Sysco has held more than $102 million in federal contracts since 2019, federal officials said. The company employs about 72,000 people around the world.

This story was originally published May 29, 2024 at 2:30 PM.