NRI woman sues Wipro for gender bias

London: An Indian woman employee at the London office of IT major Wipro has filed a £1 million compensation case of sexual discrimination, unequal pay and unfair dismissal against the firm.

She alleged that she was subjected to a “deeply predatory, misogynistic culture” and forced into an affair with a married boss at Wipro’s UK division. The 39-year-old told an employment tribunal in London this week as to how her boss called her “a seductive dancer from the 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 that she was manipulated into an affair with a married senior vice-president.

On one business trip to Stockholm in 2013, the 54-year-old allegedly told her that 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 per annum rather than the typical £150,000 paid to male equivalents. However, Wipro refused to comment on the lawsuit. Its stock slipped 1.78 per cent to settle at Rs 589.10 on BSE.

“Following an impartial inquiry, both were relieved from the services of the company after it was established beyond reasonable doubt that they had violated the stated policy,” Wipro said in a statement.