Intel ban wipes smile off Face
The firm is facing a barrage of civil charges from the group of former and current employees
Chip giant Intel is facing a flurry of US civil charges alleging the company has sexually harassed employees, engaged in racial discrimination and breached civil liberties, according to an alliance of ex-members of its US staff.
The group, called Face (former and current employees) of Intel, claimed that Intel had banned its employees from accessing Face?s Web site after the group sent an email out to current employees.
Current legal actions against Intel include five federal cases, 28 cases in California, six in Arizona, five in New Mexico and five in Oregon. Three women, Gratchen Petty, Ann Girt and Cathy Harris, have alleged sexual harassment cases pending. Harold White, based at Intel?s Sacramento, California centre, is suing Intel on a number of counts including alleged discrimination on the grounds of race, physical disability and age.
The group claimed that Intel managers approached the company?s human resources department after they received emails from Face, and were told to tell their staff to ?please provide this coaching to employees when asked about the Face Intel group, their email messages and Web site. Tell them that Intel believes that allegations made by the group are totally unfounded and untrue. Also tell them that we are taking steps to block further messages and access to the Face Intel?s Web site from Intel sites.?
In further allegations, the group claimed that Intel?s human resources unit said foreign-born employees get their green card and leave Intel because other companies like Sun and SGI pay about 30 per cent more. Face challenged this figure with research from Professor Matloff, an academic at University of California at Davis, who said average salaries for foreign-born computer professionals in Silicon Valley were $7,000 a year less than for native-born staff of the same age and education.
Intel was unavailable for comment.
- Intel has failed in its action against AMD over the MMX trademark. A UK judge refused an injunction banning the use of the letters. The chip giant had attempted injunctions across Europe.