JPMorgan Chase Settles Paternity Leave Suit for $5 Million

Two years ago, Derek Rotondo, an Ohio father, asked his employer, JPMorgan Chase, for paid parental leave. He said he was told that in most cases only mothers were considered primary caregivers and were eligible for the full 16 weeks of leave that the company offered new parents. Unless he could prove that his wife had returned to work or was medically incapable of caring for the baby, Rotondo would be eligible for only two weeks of paid leave. (In 2018, Chase increased paid parental leave for nonprimary caregivers to six weeks.)

In response, Rotondo filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) claiming the company's paid-leave policy discriminated against men.

On May 30, JPMorgan Chase agreed to pay $5 million to settle a class-action lawsuit filed on behalf of Rotondo and other male employees who said they were denied access to the same paid parental leave as mothers between 2011 and 2017.

SHRM Online has selected the following articles and resources to provide a deeper look into this topic.

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