New Jersey residents who followed the Deepwater Horizon oil spill remember that it took an army of people to help clean up the oil. In total, approximately 130,000 people toiled in the sweltering southern sun or volunteered to do so. At the height of the effort, 47,000 people were part of the cleanup force. But a number of women who applied for positions in that vast group claimed that they were not hired because of their gender.

According to one attorney with knowledge of some of the women’s complaints, BP and its contractors, who were conducting the oil-capturing project, told a number of female applicants that they would not be hired because the heat was too intense and the lifting too heavy for women. These instances of sex discrimination were eventually brought to the attention of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which entered into negotiations with BP over the discrimination claims.

Late last month the EEOC announced that it had reached a settlement with BP that would help prevent both sides from having to engage in “protracted litigation.” Under the terms of the settlement, BP will set aside $5.4 million to compensate the women who were denied jobs during the cleanup based on their gender. The discrimination victims can apply to receive their share of the funds.

In addition, BP will have to institute control measures to ensure that neither it nor its contractors engage in future employment discrimination. Refusing to hire workers because of their gender–or their inclusion in other protected classes–violates federal anti-discrimination laws.

Source: The Wall Street Journal, “FINS: BP to Pay $5.4 Million Over Gender Bias Claims,” Joseph Walker, June 29, 2012.