Altshuler Berzon LLP
177 Post Street
Suite 300
San Francisco, CA 94108
(415) 421-7151
(415) 362-8064 Fax
November 9, 2011--The Honorable Phyllis J. Hamilton, United States District Judge for the Northern District of California, today granted final approval to a Consent Decree resolving an employment discrimination class action brought by Altshuler Berzon and several cocounsel, on behalf of women and minority employees of Best Buy. Through this Consent Decree, which has a four-year term, Best Buy has agreed to changes to its personnel policies and procedures that will enhance the equal employment opportunities of the thousands of women, African Americans, and Latinos employed by Best Buy nationwide.
Among other things, under the Consent Decree, Best Buy will (1) use standardized selection procedures, including new interview guides prepared by an industrial organizational psychologist, for all retail store hiring and job assignment, and for promotions to supervisor or manager; (2) include with every job posted on the Company's online application system a clear description of the position's duties and the required qualifications; (3) post all open senior, supervisor, and manager positions electronically; (4) create an electronic process for current store-level employees to register interest in full time and supervisor positions, and to consider first employees who registered interest for those positions; (5) train managers that Best Buy's marketing strategies should not be interpreted to inform or guide Best Buy's hiring, recruitment, job assignment, transfer, promotions, or compensation policies.
For more information, please visit www.bbclassaction.com.