On November 12, The Arizona Republic reported that Michelle Bernardo, a former employee at TSMC's Arizona operations, filed a lawsuit accusing the chipmaker of firing her after she provided information to her attorneys for a class-action discrimination case in which she is a participant. According to the filing, TSMC claimed she violated company policies on confidential information by sharing internal materials with legal counsel.

Bernardo, who joined TSMC in 2021, said she experienced a hostile work environment and alleged that the company favored East Asian employees. She claimed she was initially assigned to a supervisor with no human-resources experience who frequently berated her. After being moved to another team, her new manager communicated only in Chinese, requiring colleagues to translate for her.

Bernardo said the situation deteriorated further. According to the lawsuit, colleagues circulated her mistakes to large email groups, while her supervisor offered no training or coaching and instead issued warning letters whenever errors occurred. By late 2024, she was warned that she could be dismissed if her performance did not improve.

Complaint Alleges Bullying, Failed Escalations, and Retaliation

Bernardo said she repeatedly reported the situation to senior management, but her complaints were not taken seriously, and an internal investigation later concluded that her allegations could not be substantiated.

She also alleged that her supervisor privately urged her to resign and mocked her by saying he did not understand how she had been hired. After her internal complaint failed to produce results, she was later demoted. Following that demotion, Bernardo joined the class-action lawsuit against TSMC. She said the company then dismissed her on the grounds that she violated confidentiality rules by providing documents to her attorneys—an accusation she denies.

Her new lawsuit argues that the dismissal was retaliatory and directly connected to her participation in the class-action case.

TSMC Responds

TSMC told U.S. media that it does not comment on ongoing litigation. The company stated that it is proud of its Arizona workforce, complies with all labor regulations, and remains committed to maintaining a safe, respectful, and inclusive workplace.