Outback Steakhouse has agreed to pay $19 million to female workers to settle a sex discrimination lawsuit.
A consent decree describing the settlement between the Tampa-based restaurant chain and the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission was filed in Denver federal court Tuesday.
The EEOC filed a lawsuit against Outback there in 2006, claiming that female workers were denied favorable jobs which prevented them from advancing to profit-sharing management positions.
Outback has also agreed to institute an online application system for managerial positions and to hire a human resources executive.
Outback didn't acknowledge any wrongdoing. The new CEO of parent company OSI Restaurant Partners, Liz Smith, says it doesn't tolerate any form of discrimination.
