Rex Trewin, a former global university recruiting manager at Wipro, has filed an employment discrimination case against the Bengaluru-based firm in Colorado district court in the US.
The plaintiff has demanded a jury trial on a series of issues that he alleges has affected his employment and contributed to his termination.
Trewin, who has over 20 years of campus recruitment experience, joined the IT firm in 2010. In his prior roles, he developed recruiting programmes for colleges and employers.
In his suit, he has alleged that Wipro ignored his contribution and penalised him for stressing the importance of complying with employment laws and regulations. Hence, Wipro terminated his employment on March 17, 2016.
A copy of the complaint reviewed by TOI shows Trewin alleging that he was given more responsibilities without proper staff or resources after he complained to his reporting authority.
Trewin claims he was terminated shortly after he got back after taking some time off under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). In November 2015, Trewin’s mother was seriously unwell and required assistance. “Defendant (Wipro) later changed the justification for termination by alleging to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission that Trewin’s termination was a result of ‘integrity’ issues surrounding his attendance at the Midwest strategy case competition at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign,” it said.
The complaint further states, “Defendant has engaged in a pattern and practice of the systematic termination of its American employees, in favour of Indian employees.”
When contacted, Wipro told TOI, “Wipro does not comment on pending litigation. Wipro is committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity and provides all our employees with a work environment that is free from discrimination and harassment of any kind. We will vigorously defend against these meritless allegations in court.”
Trewin has requested the court for a judgment based on what he alleges is Wipro’s unlawful interference with his right to take family medical emergency leave and hence has suffered damages, including loss of wages and benefits.