Techie files Rs 10 crore lawsuit against Wipro
Charges that she worked in 'predatory and misogynistic' culture and was forced into sleeping with her boss
An Indian woman employee at the London office of IT major Wipro has filed a 1 million pounds compensation case of sexual discrimination, unequal pay and unfair dismissal against the firm. She alleged she was subjected to a "deeply predatory, misogynistic culture" and forced into an affair with a married boss at the Bangalore-headquartered firm's UK division.
The 39-year-old told an employment tribunal in London this week how her boss called her ‘Apsara’ -- "a seductive dancer from Indian mythology". "Women who are confident, capable and express their viewpoints are often called 'emotional', 'psychotic' or 'menopausal'. Women who supported women are called 'lesbians'," she said. She claimed she was mani-pulated into an affair with a married senior vice-president.
On one business trip to Stockholm in 2013, the 54year-old male employee allegedly told her the silk blouse she was wearing was "too tight" for her body type. The India-born woman said she embarked on the affair despite finding his conversation "inane" and that he suffered on occasion from a "certain body odour", the 'Daily Telegraph' reported.
The former sales and market development manager, who handled outsourcing business deals for Wipro, said she was treated like "dirty goods" after ending the affair and lodging complaints about her treatment. She also claimed she was paid far less than male staff, earning up to 75,000 pounds per annum rather than the typical 150,000 pounds paid to male equivalents.
The IT company responded to the lawsuit by sacking both the employees, contending that its policy on conflict of interest required employees to disclose to it any personal relationship that could create conflict. "Though we do not comment on ongoing lawsuits, both employees -- Manoj Punja and Shreya Ukil -- were relieved from service after an impartial inquiry established that they had violated our stated policy," Wipro said in a statement.