Bangalore: The Indian IT giant, Infosys, has been slapped
with a lawsuit over hiring biases by an American IT professional. The recent
incidence comes nearly six months after the company settled two different
American lawsuits over potential visa fraud.
Brenda Koehler, a Wisconsin-based IT professional alleged that Infosys
discriminates against U.S. job applicants in favor of South Asians. Koehler
said that she has over 15 years experience in IT industry, and alleges that
while she was qualified for the position to which she applied, the company
discriminated against her and chose to hire a Bangladeshi national for the
position she had applied for, reports Business Today.
In the lawsuit filed on August 1 in the United States District Court for the
Eastern District of Wisconsin, Koehler said that, "Infosys has engaged in
systematic, company-wide discrimination against individuals based upon their
national origin. Specifically, Infosys has discriminated against individuals
who are not of South Asian descent." She also added that, "The
company employs more than 15,000 individuals in the United States and
approximately 90 per cent of these employees are of South Asian descent,
including individuals of Indian, Nepalese, and Bangladeshi descent. Infosys has
reached this grossly disproportionate workforce by directly discriminating
against individuals who are not of South Asian origin."
However Infosys has denied any wrongdoing and issued a
statement, "Infosys is an equal opportunity employer. We categorically
deny Ms. Koehler's claims. We look forward to addressing this matter in court,
not in public venues where facts can become mixed with rumor, opinion and
speculation. It is important to understand that no proof of class action
suitability has been presented and no court has ruled that the case is
appropriate for class action treatment."
Last year, Infosys won the law suit that alleged the company for committing
visa fraud. It was filed by an American employee, Jay Palmer. However United
States Department of Homeland Security, which was reviewing the company's
employer eligibility verifications, has found errors in a "significant
percentage" of Form I-9 reviewed, according the company’s annual report.
Fines and penalties can be imposed on the company. Form I-9 is used
for verifying the identity and employment authorization of a person in U.S.
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