Italian fashion label Etro is being sued for allegedly discriminating against staff based on looks, gender, race and age
Italian fashion label Etro is being sued for allegedly discriminating against staff based on looks, gender, race and age.
A former employee who has dealt with HR concerns at Etro US is suing the firm for allegedly firing her after she spoke out against the discriminatory practices.
Kim Weiner claimed that the firm’s founder Gimmo Etro had told her to fire a cashier as she was “old, fat and ugly”. Her lawyer said she tried standing up to the executives at Etro but soon found herself without a job.
She said she also received comments from one of her bosses that she was “big in the right places” when she first started working around 25 years ago.
She had worked in various roles at the firm and claimed there was a discriminatory pay structure where a male vice president was paid USD70,000 more a year than a female doing the same job, reported Metro.
Her severance payout was also much lower than the usual amount given to employees, she stated in the lawsuit.
Weiner claimed the firing left her with anxiety and in emotional distress.
The court action accused Etro of sabotaging and bullying employees they didn’t like in hopes that they’d leave. A spokesperson said they are reviewing the complaint.
