<p>Asian American workers in the tech industry have filed a series of lawsuits against what they say is ‘systemic bias’ in Silicon Valley, which prevents them from reaching managerial and senior executive roles. Through the lawsuits, the workers have demanded that major tech companies make policies and put systems in place to track the rates of promotion among Asian American employees.</p>

<p>A USA Today report quoted Asian American worker Vaishnavi Jayakumar, originally from Singapore, as alleging that she was discriminated against on a racial basis at Meta where she was ‘layered’ under less experienced white workers.&nbsp;</p>

<p>“I've never felt more keenly that as an Asian woman, I'm destined to be a worker, I'm not destined to be a leader,” USA Today quoted Jayakumar as saying in an interview. “And that's an awful feeling,” she added.</p>

<h2><strong>Lawsuits filed by Asian Americans</strong></h2>

<p>The lawsuits filed by enraged Asian Americans allege&nbsp;that when it comes to taking on leadership positions, they are among the least supported groups. "The pattern of discrimination experienced by Ms. Jayakumar mirrors that faced by the broader Asian American community: others make assumptions about what work Asian Americans are suited for," the statement read.</p>

<p><strong>Watch:&nbsp;Asian Americans face hate crimes owing to Anti-China rhetoric</strong></p>

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<p>“The generations of men and women before us had to suffer in silence. I don't think any one of us wants this to continue for a minute longer than it already has,” Jayakumar commented.</p>

<h2><strong>Are Asian Americans really discriminated against?</strong></h2>

<p>An analysis done by USA Today found that while Asian Americans were most likely to be hired for professional roles, they were the least likely of all to reach the managerial and senior roles with more power.<br />
<br />
This is glaringly visible in companies like Meta, where Asian Americans make up 46 per cent of the total workforce, but just 27 per cent of executives. White employees, on the other side, make up just 39 per cent of the total workforce but occupy 58 per cent of total executive roles.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/indians-among-top-earners-in-us-surpass-other-asian-groups-report-553585"><strong>Also read:&nbsp;Indians among top earners in US, surpass other Asian groups: Report</strong></a></p>

<p>Buck Gee, an executive adviser to Ascend Foundation, the nation’s largest network of Asian American professionals, said, “The tech industry has made progress in becoming more racially diverse in its workforce but has made virtually no progress in becoming more racially equitable in its leadership pipeline.”</p>

<h2><strong>False perception about Asian Americans</strong></h2>

<p>The lawsuits highlight that there is a false perception in the corporate space that Asian Americans generally don’t face discrimination. But, Pawan Dhingra, president of the Association for Asian American Studies and a professor at Amherst College, says, “The economic realities for Asians and Asian Americans vary greatly, particularly for those in low-wage and low-opportunity jobs on H-1B visas.”</p>

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Asian American workers in the tech industry have filed a series of lawsuits against what they say is ‘systemic bias’ in Silicon Valley, which prevents them from reaching managerial and senior executive roles.

Asian American workers in the tech industry have filed a series of lawsuits against what they say is ‘systemic bias’ in Silicon Valley, which prevents them from reaching managerial and senior executive roles. Through the lawsuits, the workers have demanded that major tech companies make policies and put systems in place to track the rates of promotion among Asian American employees. A USA Today report quoted Asian American worker Vaishnavi Jayakumar, originally from Singapore, as alleging that she was discriminated against on a racial basis at Meta where she was ‘layered’ under less experienced white workers. “I've never felt more keenly that as an Asian woman, I'm destined to be a worker, I'm not destined to be a leader,” USA Today quoted Jayakumar as saying in an interview. “And that's an awful feeling,” she added. Lawsuits filed by Asian Americans The lawsuits filed by enraged Asian Americans allege that when it comes to taking on leadership positions, they are among the least supported groups. "The pattern of discrimination experienced by Ms. Jayakumar mirrors that faced by the broader Asian American community: others make assumptions about what work Asian Americans are suited for," the statement read. Watch: Asian Americans face hate crimes owing to Anti-China rhetoric × “The generations of men and women before us had to suffer in silence. I don't think any one of us wants this to continue for a minute longer than it already has,” Jayakumar commented. Are Asian Americans really discriminated against? An analysis done by USA Today found that while Asian Americans were most likely to be hired for professional roles, they were the least likely of all to reach the managerial and senior roles with more power. This is glaringly visible in companies like Meta, where Asian Americans make up 46 per cent of the total workforce, but just 27 per cent of executives. White employees, on the other side, make up just 39 per cent of the total workforce but occupy 58 per cent of total executive roles. Also read: Indians among top earners in US, surpass other Asian groups: Report Buck Gee, an executive adviser to Ascend Foundation, the nation’s largest network of Asian American professionals, said, “The tech industry has made progress in becoming more racially diverse in its workforce but has made virtually no progress in becoming more racially equitable in its leadership pipeline.” False perception about Asian Americans The lawsuits highlight that there is a false perception in the corporate space that Asian Americans generally don’t face discrimination. But, Pawan Dhingra, president of the Association for Asian American Studies and a professor at Amherst College, says, “The economic realities for Asians and Asian Americans vary greatly, particularly for those in low-wage and low-opportunity jobs on H-1B visas.” WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

US: Asian Americans file lawsuits against ‘racial bias’ in Silicon Valley top positions

<p>Tattooed models in mustard robes replaced the usual grey-suited bankers at Nordea Bank's Copenhagen headquarters recently, as the Danish bank strutted out its latest attempt to woo young talent.</p>

<p>Hosting a fashion show is just one-way companies like Nordea, the largest financial group in Nordic countries, are trying to attract twentysomething and thirtysomething employees. As financial services have moved online, banks have to battle with tech giants like Google and Amazon, which boast offices with features like massage rooms, to sign up tech-savvy millennials skilled in areas like artificial intelligence and programming.</p>

<p>"Banks today are not really banks like they were years ago," Danske Bank's head of real estate, Christian Ronn Osteraas, said in an interview. "Banks are more and more IT companies, so the fact that we compete for the same talents also means that we have to offer the same or better physical benefits and services."</p>

<p>Workplace ambience is becoming increasingly crucial for banks in the quest for talent among youth who care about the environment and not just a juicy paycheck.</p>

<p>"Seventy-seven per cent of millennials say that the workspace is more important than salary," said chief operating officer Troels Bjerg at ISS, a top facility services firm whose customers include most of Europe's 25 biggest banks.</p>

<p>Chief executives see attracting and retaining talent as their No. 1 challenge, according to data from ISS World, a Danish provider of facilities management, security, catering and other support services to companies globally.</p>

<p>"It has moved from being on the janitor's agenda to the CEO's agenda," Bjerg said.</p>

<p><strong>That start-up feeling</strong></p>

<p>Nordea is also looking at places like Disney and Silicon Valley for inspiration to shed banking's dusty image.</p>

<p>"It is important that you have something you can talk about when you get home," said Trine Thorn, Nordea's head of workplace management in Denmark. "We have to create something attractive and different. I want to have this start-up feeling."</p>

<p>At Danske Bank in Vilnius, Lithuania's capital where it has 700 IT employees, you can nap in a booth in 'The Library' relaxation area or challenge colleagues at ping pong or PlayStation in another room.</p>

<p>Danske's shared services centre in Vilnius will stay when the bank pulls out of the Baltic countries and Russia in the wake of one of the largest-ever money laundering scandals.</p>

<p>Video games and flexible seating may not suit everyone, though.</p>

<p>"Everybody wants an inspiring workplace and the challenge might be that millennials have been highlighted so much lately," Osteraas of Danske said. "It is important to attract talents of the future, but it should not remove focus from other types of employees."</p>

<p><strong>From cleaner to experience manager</strong></p>

<p>Nordea has been working closely with ISS to create a workplace that feels both like a bank and a tech start-up.</p>

<p>ISS, mainly known for its cleaning and catering services, said its new business for workplace experiences has been one of its fastest-growing areas in recent years. "Experience managers" create initiatives like a pop-up car wash in an office parking lot or a tour around the company to support knowledge sharing.</p>

<p>"My role is to help create a culture that's more relevant to generation Z," said Dino Portelli, an ISS experience manager contracted by a big global bank in New York.</p>

<p>Portelli is behind initiatives like a shuttle bus to the bank's remote site, with a host onboard who can help employees book a meeting room, provide replacement pantyhose if needed, or pre-order coffee to be ready upon arrival.</p>

<p>"Banks are very corporate, but here it feels like you are in a Google (office)," he said of the site, which also includes a manicure salon and works with a local farm to supply greens.</p>

<p>"They arrive in their suits on Monday. By Wednesday they're in slacks. And by Friday they're playing ping-pong."</p>


Tattooed models in mustard robes replaced the usual grey-suited bankers at Nordea Bank's Copenhagen headquarters recently, as the Danish bank strutted out its latest attempt to woo young talent.

Tattooed models in mustard robes replaced the usual grey-suited bankers at Nordea Bank's Copenhagen headquarters recently, as the Danish bank strutted out its latest attempt to woo young talent. Hosting a fashion show is just one-way companies like Nordea, the largest financial group in Nordic countries, are trying to attract twentysomething and thirtysomething employees. As financial services have moved online, banks have to battle with tech giants like Google and Amazon, which boast offices with features like massage rooms, to sign up tech-savvy millennials skilled in areas like artificial intelligence and programming. "Banks today are not really banks like they were years ago," Danske Bank's head of real estate, Christian Ronn Osteraas, said in an interview. "Banks are more and more IT companies, so the fact that we compete for the same talents also means that we have to offer the same or better physical benefits and services." Workplace ambience is becoming increasingly crucial for banks in the quest for talent among youth who care about the environment and not just a juicy paycheck. "Seventy-seven per cent of millennials say that the workspace is more important than salary," said chief operating officer Troels Bjerg at ISS, a top facility services firm whose customers include most of Europe's 25 biggest banks. Chief executives see attracting and retaining talent as their No. 1 challenge, according to data from ISS World, a Danish provider of facilities management, security, catering and other support services to companies globally. "It has moved from being on the janitor's agenda to the CEO's agenda," Bjerg said. That start-up feeling Nordea is also looking at places like Disney and Silicon Valley for inspiration to shed banking's dusty image. "It is important that you have something you can talk about when you get home," said Trine Thorn, Nordea's head of workplace management in Denmark. "We have to create something attractive and different. I want to have this start-up feeling." At Danske Bank in Vilnius, Lithuania's capital where it has 700 IT employees, you can nap in a booth in 'The Library' relaxation area or challenge colleagues at ping pong or PlayStation in another room. Danske's shared services centre in Vilnius will stay when the bank pulls out of the Baltic countries and Russia in the wake of one of the largest-ever money laundering scandals. Video games and flexible seating may not suit everyone, though. "Everybody wants an inspiring workplace and the challenge might be that millennials have been highlighted so much lately," Osteraas of Danske said. "It is important to attract talents of the future, but it should not remove focus from other types of employees." From cleaner to experience manager Nordea has been working closely with ISS to create a workplace that feels both like a bank and a tech start-up. ISS, mainly known for its cleaning and catering services, said its new business for workplace experiences has been one of its fastest-growing areas in recent years. "Experience managers" create initiatives like a pop-up car wash in an office parking lot or a tour around the company to support knowledge sharing. "My role is to help create a culture that's more relevant to generation Z," said Dino Portelli, an ISS experience manager contracted by a big global bank in New York. Portelli is behind initiatives like a shuttle bus to the bank's remote site, with a host onboard who can help employees book a meeting room, provide replacement pantyhose if needed, or pre-order coffee to be ready upon arrival. "Banks are very corporate, but here it feels like you are in a Google (office)," he said of the site, which also includes a manicure salon and works with a local farm to supply greens. "They arrive in their suits on Monday. By Wednesday they're in slacks. And by Friday they're playing ping-pong."

Denmark: To lure young talent, banks mimic tech workspaces

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US: Asian Americans file lawsuits against ‘racial bias’ in Silicon Valley top positions

Denmark: To lure young talent, banks mimic tech workspaces