Shangrila Hotels: Racism, Harassment faced; Employee Resigns in Protest

A female employee at Shangri-La has accused their Bengaluru, India senior management of racism, sexism, and verbal abuse, prompting her resignation after eight years with the hotel. In emails obtained by this network, a whistleblower outlines a series of disturbing incidents involving finance manager Koteswar Rao and General Manager Andreas Streiber, whom she claims foster a toxic and discriminatory work culture.

The whistleblower recounts an incident where Rao verbally assaulted the complainant after she wanted to seek necessary approvals to share a document. He allegedly responded by shouting, “You fucking lady have an excuse for everything,” an act that the employee describes as deeply distressing.

However, the most troubling accusations are leveled against Andreas Streiber. The General Manager is accused of making numerous racist remarks, including saying “Indians are fat” and “Indian kids are ugly.” The employee also states that Streiber glorifies authoritarian regimes, particularly China, while deriding India’s democracy and has fat-shamed her on her weight-gain post pregnancy.

The whistleblower further describes how this workplace environment has led to significant emotional and physical stress, contributing to her and many others’ decision to leave.

Despite multiple requests for comment, the employee has chosen to remain silent as she follows legal procedures. Shangri-La has not yet addressed the issue and reportedly even her complaints have not been acknowledged by the Bengaluru human resources of the hotel led by Satish Kumar Muniyappa.