Microsoft shareholders vote against gender pay gap proposal

[SAN FRANCISCO] Microsoft shareholders voted against a proposal calling for the company to report more information on gaps in employee pay, ranked according to gender and race.

Less than 30 per cent of shares represented voted in favor of the measure at Microsoft's annual meeting on Wednesday.

Arjuna Capital, which praised progress the company has made, tabled a measure calling for it to give more of a precise statistical breakdown on the gender and race pay gap among its workers.

Microsoft's board opposed the proposal saying it focused on the wrong numbers and that the company was already focused on the appropriate way of addressing the issue.

Separately, Starbucks has disclosed that it has no gender or racial pay gap, joining Citigroup in reporting figures for median pay.

BLOOMBERG