Former Researcher Sues Nomura Alleging Violations of Sex Discrimination and Medical Leave Laws

It is well known that the financial industry has historically been dominated by men and that many female employees have been the victims of sex discrimination and other forms of workplace mistreatment. A former quantitative researcher is now suing Nomura Securities, alleging that she was  targeted by supervisors and eventually terminated for one or more illegal reasons. 

Xue Feng, who went by the name Heidi at the office, made several claims against Nomura in her Complaint, including the following:

• Sex discrimination — Feng was the only woman on her team and her boss directly told her she was underpaid. Moreover, when she reported that a male co-worker in the company’s IT department had treated her dismissively, no action was taken against the co-worker and Feng was required to work in the office on weekdays when her male colleagues were not. 

• Unlawful retaliation — In an internal survey, Feng stated that the company should “stop discriminating against women.” Not long after that, Feng was fired as part of what Nomura claimed to be a staff reduction. However, no men on her team were terminated. 

• Violation of the Family and Medical Leave Act — While she was going through these difficulties at work, Feng was being screened by doctors for skin and breast cancers. This included multiple biopsies. Despite the seriousness of her condition, Feng’s supervisors did not allow her to work from home in order to attend appointments, though men in the department had been permitted to do so even in less circumstances. When her health concerns were urgent enough that she went to the appointments anyway, her absences led to a negative performance review. 

Feng’s claims demonstrate that discriminatory workplace behavior is often multifaceted and interrelated, potentially violating several different laws. While disparate pay could trigger a sex discrimination charge, the fact that her supervisors failed to let her work form home in order to obtain medical examinations could also be rooted in gender bias.  

Consulting with an experienced employment lawyer gives you the chance to gain a knowledgeable perspective on your case and all of the potential claims that you might be able to bring. When you contact Kardell Law Group, you can count on receiving honest insight from a seasoned attorney.