Serious allegations against entrepreneur CEO from Ticino alleged to have sexually harassed female applicants
A job advertisement in Ticino is causing a stir: Several female applicants report sexual harassment during job interviews. One expert speaks of a clear violation of the law.
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- A job advertisement in Ticino is causing outrage after several female applicants report sexual harassment during job interviews.
- The women describe inappropriate questions, intrusive behavior and sometimes assaultive situations such as unexpected kissing.
- An expert clearly classifies the case as sexual harassment, while the accused employer denies all allegations.
A job advertisement in Ticino was looking for a "personal assistant to the CEO" in Chiasso. However, several applicants reported that the conversations had degenerated into sexual harassment. This is reported by SRF.
The advertisement in question will be published online in mid-February. The company is looking for a woman "between 19 and 40 years old", "absolutely free of family obligations" and "available for new experiences outside the usual rules". The employer describes itself as a "manager of a high human and professional standard".
In a canton with over 6 percent unemployment and a lot of competition, such an offer attracts attention. Radio and Television of Italian-speaking Switzerland (RSI) found several women who had applied.
Those affected feel humiliated
Their accounts are similar: the man introduces himself as the boss of two companies, but then asks intrusive questions, makes comments about their appearance and tells stories with sexual content. He speaks of a "symbiosis" and that the assistant must "always be at his side".
It also becomes problematic during "business trips": these could mean spending a few days in an apartment by the sea - possibly in the same room. One applicant even reports an unexpected kiss.
Many women feel "hurt", "humiliated" and "angry" after the interviews. Some are also afraid, as the meetings often take place in the evening or on Saturdays when no one else is in the office.
Clear assessment from the expert
An RSI journalist also applied. She was also asked to deepen the contact - for example by "chatting with him after nine in the evening" and traveling to central Italy.
She was also asked to sign an agreement stating that this "way of getting to know each other" did not count as work and that she herself would be responsible for "non-compliant behavior".
For lawyer Nora Jardini Croci Torti, the case is clear: "It's all, all, all wrong!" It is sexual harassment according to the law.
The entrepreneur, on the other hand, rejects all accusations. The women's statements and the kiss were "fabricated".
