Penn State will pay $703,742 in back wages and interest to resolve alleged gender pay discrimination against women employees at the University Park campus.
The U.S Department of Labor says the university also must take steps to make sure its compensation practices and policies are free from discrimination.
Federal investigators say that, since at least July 1, 2020, Penn State paid 65 women employees less than men holding similar positions. Those positions were in facilities operations and maintenance, extension education, senior administration, research professor roles at the College of Engineering and the Applied Research Laboratory, and teaching professor roles at the College of Agricultural Sciences and the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications.
Back pay per person ranges from around $2,500 to more than $47,000.
Penn State did not admit to any wrongdoing in the settlement.
As part of the agreement with the labor department, Penn State must issue notices to the 65 affected women employees within a week of the effective date. President Neeli Bendapudi signed the agreement on Monday, Sept. 16.
In that notice, employees must provide their name, address, phone number, email, last four Social Security digits, sign and return to receive payment. Penn State then has to issue payment within 15 days of receiving that signed document.