Abstract

The case examines the controversy surrounding the charges of sexual harassment and unlawful termination made by an employee against Infosys, leading Indian software company, during 2001-03. Phaneesh Murthy, a top level executive and a director on the company board, was accused of sexually harassing and unlawfully firing his subordinate, Reka Maximovitch. The case provides information about the definition of sexual harassment and examines in detail the events that occurred from the time Maximovitch joined Infosys to the out-of-court settlement of the lawsuit. The reasons for the out-of-court settlement are discussed and the measures taken by Infosys to improve its internal policies regarding sexual harassment are described.

Learning Objectives

The case is structured to achieve the following Learning Objectives:

• Sexual harassment at the workplace and its legal implications.

Keywords

Sexual harassment, unlawful termination , Infosys, 2001-03,Phaneesh Murthy, director, company board, sexually harassing, unlawfully firing, subordinate, Reka Maximovitch, out-of-court, lawsuit, measures, internal policies