Google has agreed to pay $28 million (£22 million) to settle a class action lawsuit alleging that it favored white and Asian employees over workers from other racial backgrounds by offering them higher pay and better career advancement opportunities.

The settlement, which received preliminary approval last week from Judge Charles Adams of the Santa Clara County Superior Court in California, covers at least 6,632 Google employees in California who worked for the company between February 15, 2018, and December 31, 2024.

The lawsuit was led by Ana Cantu, a former Google employee who identifies as Mexican and racially Indigenous. She brought the case on behalf of Hispanic, Latino, Indigenous, Native American, and other underrepresented minority employees.

Cantu, who worked in Google’s people operations and cloud departments for seven years, claimed that despite consistently performing well, she remained at the same job level while white and Asian colleagues received promotions and higher pay.

The lawsuit accused Google of assigning white and Asian employees to higher job levels for identical work while withholding promotions and pay raises from minority employees. It also alleged that employees who raised concerns about pay and advancement disparities faced further career stagnation.

Cantu contended that Google’s practices violated the California Equal Pay Act, which requires equal pay for substantially similar work, regardless of gender, race, or ethnicity. She left the company in September 2021.

While Google has agreed to settle the case, the company denies any wrongdoing.

A spokesperson for Google stated on Tuesday:

“We continue to disagree with the allegations that we treated anyone differently and remain committed to paying, hiring, and leveling all employees fairly.”

Of the $28 million settlement, net proceeds will total $20.4 million after deducting legal fees and other costs, including penalties tied to Cantu’s claim under California’s Private Attorneys General Act.

A final hearing is scheduled for September, where the court will determine whether to grant final approval for the settlement.

Cantu’s lawyers have not yet responded to media requests for comment.