L’Oréal Lawsuit: Pay Transparency Illegally Withheld, Claims Allege

Case Overview: A class action lawsuit alleges L’Oréal and its affiliates violated Washington's pay transparency laws by routinely posting jobs without disclosing salary ranges or benefits.

Consumers Affected: U.S. applicants who applied for L’Oréal jobs in Washington since January 2023 where salary ranges and benefits were not disclosed.

Court: Superior Court of the State of Washington, in and for the County of King

Cosmetics giant L’Oréal and several affiliated companies violate Washington state pay transparency laws designed to close wage gaps, a new lawsuit claims. The complaint claims the beauty retailer routinely posted jobs without disclosing salary ranges or benefits, even though the law requiring it has been in effect since January 2023.

The lawsuit argues that by omitting this information, L’Oréal not only broke the law but also harmed job seekers who were left in the dark about pay and benefits, costing them valuable time and bargaining power.

Lawsuit Argues Lack of Transparency Wastes Jobseekers' Time

The case was filed by Shannon Spencer, a Skagit County resident who applied for a position with L’Oréal in November 2023. According to the complaint, the job posting failed to list the wage scale, salary range, or details about benefits. Spencer says he reasonably expected this information would surface during the application process, but it never did.

As a result, he claims he was unable to assess whether the role offered fair compensation compared to other opportunities. The lawsuit says this lack of transparency not only wasted his time but also harmed his ability to negotiate pay, ultimately hurting his lifetime earning potential. 

Spencer argues that L’Oréal’s ongoing practices perpetuate wage inequality across its Washington job postings.

What Washington's Pay Transparency Law Requires

Washington’s Equal Pay and Opportunities Act was updated in 2023 to require employers with 15 or more employees to disclose salary ranges and benefits in every job posting. 

Lawmakers made the change after research showed persistent wage disparities in the state, including women earning 78 cents for every dollar men make, a gap that has actually widened over the past decade.

The new rules were meant to give applicants the tools to make informed decisions, reduce wage inequality, and prevent employers from exploiting information gaps. Despite this, the lawsuit alleges L’Oréal and its affiliates continued to withhold required pay details, creating systemic harm for applicants.

L'Oréal Joins Other Employers Under Fire for Hiring Practices

L’Oréal isn’t the only big name accused of sidestepping transparency rules. Wizards of the Coast and its parent company Hasbro are also facing a class action lawsuit alleging they left salary ranges out of Washington job postings. Food services giant Aramark has been sued for the same issue, with applicants claiming the company wasted their time while ignoring state law.

Elsewhere, Walgreens is defending itself against a Massachusetts lawsuit that claims the pharmacy chain left out a legally required disclaimer on applications about lie detector tests, highlighting a wider pattern of companies facing legal trouble for hiring practices that fail to meet transparency or disclosure requirements.

In his lawsuit, Spencer aims to represent all applicants who applied for L’Oréal jobs in Washington since January 2023 where salary ranges and benefits were not disclosed. The lawsuit seeks an injunction requiring the company to follow the law going forward, as well as statutory damages of $5,000 per applicant plus attorneys’ fees.

Case Details

• Lawsuit: Spencer v. L’Oreal Usa, Inc., et al.
• Case Number: 2:25-cv-01603
• Court: In the Superior Court of the State of Washington, in and for the County of King 

Plaintiffs' Attorneys

• Timothy W. Emery, Patrick B. Reddy, Paul Cipriani, and Hannah M. Hamley (Emery Reddy, PLLC)

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