Rhonda AdamsIn the world of corporate Public Relations, there are some allegations you can let roll off your proverbial back, and some you almost always have to answer. This is one of the latter. Google was recently accused of paying women less than men for doing the same work. This accusation, especially for a tech company that relies on web-based products and services, is something Google has to address…even if there is no merit to the claims.The United States Department of Labor is reportedly investigating how Google pay for men and women compares in the same or similar jobs. The investigation, first reported by the Associated Press, was revealed in a court hearing in San Francisco recently.The language used by investigators in this case does not bode well for higher ups at Google. “We found systemic compensation disparities against women pretty much across the entire workforce…” said Janette Wipper, a Labor Department official testified, the AP reported.Google did what pretty much anyone would do in this situation: absolutely denied the allegations, adding that they had no idea of the allegations until they were disclosed in court. Google’s statement on the matter was terse and straightforward: “Every year, we do a comprehensive and robust analysis of pay across genders, and we have found no gender pay gap…”That denial won’t be enough to put Google in the clear, though. The tech sector has an ongoing PR problem based on its perceived bias not only for hiring men but for hiring Asian men. Women are assumed to be given short shrift. Google has taken steps to mitigate this assumed reality, at least in its company, with minimal results. Women make up about one in five tech jobs at Google, while about one in three Google employees are female.Despite the actions Google says it’s taken in good faith, the Labor Department says otherwise. But it gets worse from there. This entire situation began with a lawsuit filed earlier this year with the intention of barring Google from doing business with the federal government until the company allowed an audit of its employee compensation records. Google initially complied, turning over some records. When the government asked for more, Google balked, saying any further disclosures would infringe on the privacy of its employees.That excuse may not be enough for the consumer public, which will not dig into the details. They will see the headlines and, in many cases, assume guilt. Not surprising, given the issues the tech sector – and Google in particular – has had with gender issues in recent years. If the company wants to protect its already somewhat bruised image, it will have to come up with a stronger, more direct narrative on this subject … and fast. [author]About the Author: Rhonda Adams is a New York City based entrepreneur. [/author]