Lawsuit: HSBC Bank exec alleges discrimination, unauthorized WhatsApp use
By 
Aaron Nicodemus2022-08-25T17:47:00
A current HSBC Bank USA executive claimed in a federal lawsuit she was discriminated and retaliated against for raising regulatory violations involving unauthorized communications by bank employees that were downplayed or ignored by management.
Monique Thacker, an HSBC Bank employee since 2013 and a woman of Indian descent, made the allegations in a discrimination lawsuit filed Aug. 19 in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. She seeks a jury trial to weigh her claims and determine compensatory damages.
Thacker claimed in her lawsuit she raised concerns in April regarding the unauthorized use of WhatsApp by two private banking employees, less than a week after the bank issued a warning to all employees not to use unauthorized communication channels to conduct firm business. Thacker claimed the two employees were denigrating the compliance department in their WhatsApp chat.
Related articles
-
News BriefHSBC to pay $45M to settle CFTC spoofing, recordkeeping violations
HSBC was fined $45 million by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission over allegations its traders used manipulative and deceptive trading practices. The bank and its subsidiaries were separately fined $30 million by the CFTC for business use of off-channel communications by employees.
-
ArticleCompliance deficiencies highlighted in $1.8B crackdown on messaging apps
Eleven banks, investment firms, and their affiliates will pay a total of more than $1.8 billion in fines for “widespread and longstanding failures” in monitoring, maintaining, and preserving electronic communications by employees.
-
ArticlePwC lawsuit prompts reconsideration of after-hour work events
Big Four audit firm PwC is being sued by one of its employees for more than £200,000 (U.S. $234,000) after he injured himself at a post-work drink event in 2019. The incident is not the first where “team-bonding” efforts have proven problematic.
More from Whistleblowers
-
ArticleEmployee faith in whistleblowing programs wanes when companies act selectively
Whistleblowing hotlines are rightly championed as valuable tools for employees and even third parties to raise concerns about corporate conduct. But it seems some complaints may be acted upon more keenly than others, particularly if blame can be pinned to one individual and any potential fallout can be ring-fenced.
-
News BriefMore federal whistleblowers come forward amid government layoffs
As the Trump administration continues to reduce the number of workers at multiple federal agencies, there has been a record number of whistleblowers coming forward.
-
PremiumDespite uncertainty, whistleblowers still have incentives to report misconduct
Whistleblowing in the United States is being buffered by uncertainty from regulators who are backing off policing corruption and consumer protections. Regulators like the Department of Justice and the Securities and Exchange Commission are being thrown into disarray by layoffs and restructuring. Still, whistleblowers will likely continue coming forward.