A former executive at Indian software company Infosys accused the company of racial discrimination in its hiring and promotion practices, saying the company favors Indian employees over people of other backgrounds.
Erin Green, who is white, worked at the company’s Texas office from October 2011 to July 2016. He claims his former employer has given Indian applicants advantages in searching for jobs. Green filed a lawsuit June 19 in a district court in eastern Texas, citing a lack of diversity at the firm.
According to the suit, while only 1 percent of the American population is Indian in race and origin, between 93 and 94 percent of Infosys’s workforce is of South Asian origin — and mostly Indian. Green argues that this workforce makeup is a result of intentional discrimination against non-Indian or South Asian individuals when hiring, termination and promotion.
The company was forced to pay $34 million in 2013 after a court in Texas found it had engaged in widespread visa fraud and abuse. Green’s lawsuit does not address possible visa misuse at Infosys, but does suggest there is more to the company’s lack of diversity than simple employee merit.
A history of complaints
The lawsuit was not the first time Green complained about the company’s hiring practices. After he was transferred to the global immigration team in 2013, he alleged his supervisor stripped him of responsibilities and passed his compliance and immigration tasks to less experienced and less qualified employees of South Asian or Indian descent. He mentioned these employees were added to the U.S. team without any previous American immigration experience.
Green also alleges that he was never promoted, nor were any white or black employees on his team promoted or ever provided with any salary increases.
If you have any reason to believe you have been the victim of discrimination in your workplace, consult a skilled Dallas attorney at Whistleblower Law for Managers to learn more about your legal rights and options.
