Three female physicians filed a lawsuit against the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Hospital Authority and Carolinas HealthCare System on the grounds that the companies violated the Equal Pay Act of 1963.
The plaintiffs, from Cabarrus County said they were paid substantially less than their male colleagues despite having the same position and qualifications.
The women are seeking actual, compensatory, liquidated, statutory and punitive damages, attorneys’ fees and costs and all damages provided for or permitted under any applicable statute or law.
According to the lawsuit — filed Sept.11— there is no justification for the earnings disparity. All plaintiffs maintained the proper licenses during their time in Carolinas HealthCare System and they exceeded the expectations of their positions. Despite this, they received lower salaries than their male coworker did.
The plaintiffs repeatedly brought their grievances to the attention of their employers but neither Charlotte-Mecklenburg Hospital Authority nor CHS took any action to remedy the situation, according to the lawsuit.
CHS said in a statement that it has looked into the claims and found they are not valid.
"Carolinas HealthCare System is consistently committed to fair and equitable compensation for all of our teammates, and we abide by all state and federal employment laws,” the statement said.
Teri Porter, a spokesperson for CHS, said she doesn't expect the lawsuit will have any impact on the company's work toward a partnership with UNC Health Care.
According to a 2017 physician salary survey conducted by Medscape, male primary care physicians reported earning an annual salary of $229,000 while female physicians reported earning a salary of just $197,000.