See’s Candies has reached a settlement with the California Civil Rights Department after the company was accused of failing to turn over employee pay data under California law, the state government announced Wednesday.
Employers with 100 or more workers are legally mandated to make an annual report on pay, demographic and other workforce data as a way to encourage “self assessments of pay disparities” and review equal pay and anti-discrimination practices, according to the Civil Rights Department.
But See’s Candies, known for handcrafted chocolates and confections, missed its deadlines two years in a row in 2024 and 2025, according to the state.
As part of the agreement, the San Francisco-based company will pay $142,800 as well as “committing” to timely filings in the future.
“While California’s gender wage gap is one of the lowest in the nation, billions of dollars are lost to gender and racial pay gaps in California each year,” the department said in a statement. “By helping employers and the state clearly identify the challenge, the pay data reporting program can help drive action to address it.”
A Burger King franchise and an after-school program faced similar allegations of noncompliance with the state’s pay data reporting requirement in 2024.
NBC Los Angeles reached out to See’s Candies for a response.
Any employee who has experienced discrimination is urged to contact the state via its complaint process. The department also provides general information and factsheets online about civil rights protections, including on employment discrimination.
