Accoring to a process integration engineer at its Arizona plant, TSMC has recently begun to bully some employees into resigning due to poor performance without proper training, and Taiwanese locals often replace those who quit.

A spokesperson for TSMC said the company won't comment on pending litigation.

"TSMC believes strongly in the value of a diverse workforce and we hire and promote without regard to gender, religion, race, nationality, or political affiliation because we respect differences, and believe that equal employment opportunities strengthen our competitiveness," the company said in a statement.