Citi employee sues after being fired for allegedly – Business News
A Citi staffer who was fired for allegedly saying it was a “nightmare” to work with Indians is suing the bank, claiming she confronted discrimination herself over her menopausal signs and long COVID situations.
Ann Watson, former senior vice president in Citi’s Finance Solutions Group, slapped the bank with a lawsuit filed in London after she was fired in 2023.
During an inside digital job interview, Watson allegedly instructed an interviewer of Indian heritage: “The project failed because I was working with a team of Indians. No offense to you, Kapil, but you know what Indians are like to work with. It’s a nightmare.”
A Citi staffer who was fired for an alleged racist remark is suing the bank for discrimination and unfair dismissal. REUTERS
In the go well with, Watson alleged she was unfairly dismissed and discriminated in opposition to for her intercourse, age and disabilities — together with menopause and long COVID-19 signs like mind fog, reminiscence loss and uncharacteristic conduct.
She is looking for compensation for unfair dismissal.
Citi denied the allegations. The bank declined to remark.
The bank claimed that after Watson made the alleged racist remark, she was positioned in an online ready room.
When the interview resumed, she allegedly mentioned: “Now it’s your chance, Kapil, to get me back.”
Watson claimed she was “shocked” when, practically a month after the interview, Citi’s human assets workforce instructed her she was dealing with an accusation of making a racist remark.
Citi denied the allegations within the lawsuit. REUTERS
“I was horrified to hear these as I would not blame a culture or country for any kind of failure or direct any such comments toward an interview panel that I was applying for a role with,” she mentioned in a witness assertion for a London listening to on the case.
Watson was apologetic, although she claimed she couldn’t bear in mind the alleged derogatory remark.
“I did not deny making the comments as I simply could not recall as a result of my long COVID-19 and menopausal symptoms,” she mentioned.
Rather, she alleged she was let go as a result of of her medical situations at 55 years previous. The “too harsh” firing didn’t have in mind her 12 years of service on the bank, Watson argued.
Citi mentioned its investigation into Watson was truthful and neutral, and stood by the choice to fire her.
Her alleged signs couldn’t have “made or contributed to the claimant making racist comments,” legal professionals for the bank mentioned.
