Australian Woman Files $1.1-M Sexual Harassment Case Against IBM
Computer giant International Business Machine (IBM) is facing a $1.1 million sexual harassment suit filed before the Australian Federal Court by a former female employee, who claimed that she was humiliated, bullied and harassed by a male superior for two years.
In her filing, former IBM sales executive Susan Spiteri informed the court that she was having the best time of her career while employed by the company in Melbourne, which started in 1999.
"IBM was my life. I loved my job. I loved my customers. I loved what I did, it was my identity," an ABC report on Thursday quoted Spiteri as saying while noting too that the employee was a company asset that commanded an annual salary of at least $150,000.
Yet her work environment had a radical twist in 2007 when her unidentified male supervisor came into the picture, which she revealed commenced a pattern of mental, verbal and sexual abuse that only ended when the alleged culprit resigned in 2009.
According to ABC, Spiteri disclosed appalling scenarios in which she was the recipient of what appears as deliberate torments and taunts from a superior to an underling with no clear motive but to wield undue power.
"He called me names to my customers ... he yelled at me consistently ... He groped me. He rubbed himself against my backside when he walked past me. He touched me, put his hands up my dress, asked me to expose my breasts to get more sales," the former IBM employee was quoted by the network as saying during an interview.
Spiteri also confided that she made a formal manifestation about the incidents to IBM higher-ups, which her lawsuit showed was filed in May 2009, which merited a mere probe and then nothing.
"I felt that we were just numbers working with IBM. All they care about is themselves not their staff," Spiteri told ABC.
In a reaction, IBM has declared that the supervisor targeted by Spiteri's complaints already left the company but the firm remains committed in answering the charges before the appropriate forum.
"IBM does not tolerate harassment of any type ... The claimant remains an employee of IBM and continues to receive comprehensive benefits and support," the computer firm said in a statement.