In late October, technology giant, Google, announced that it has fired 48 employees since 2016 over sexual harassment allegations. The company delivered the news to its employees via email, and the reaction has sparked a backlash. Prior to the announcement, The New York Times reported that the former developer of the Android mobile operating system was terminated in 2014 due to sexual harassment complaints, but he left with a severance package worth $90 million.
Other male executives accused of such behavior have also left the company with substantial payouts, but in their email, Google stated that the 48 individuals fired did not receive severance packages. Of those 48 men, 13 were senior executives. On November 1, about 20,000 of Google’s 90,000 employees worldwide walked out in protest over the company’s handling of sexual harassment. New York had more than 3,000 Google employees walk out in protest.
A Male Culture
Like many other tech companies, Google has long had a predominantly male culture. Many of the male engineers and other technological employees continued a fraternity culture, with sexual harassment being a big part. Some women participating in the walkout told reporters that they were sexual harassment victims, but did not report it because they did not feel safe enough to do so. Protesters said all employees deserve protection and safety at work. Employees at the protests unveiled a list of demands, including an end to arbitration of sexual harassment cases, a public disclosure of sexual harassment at Google, and a better process for sexual misconduct reporting.
Along with these demands, protesters also want to see more opportunities for women at the company, especially for women of color. Google’s CEO released a statement in response to the demands where he acknowledged employees had raised constructive ideas about policy improvement and they will take in the feedback to put the ideas into action. At a New York City conference, he said that the company set a high bar but did not live up to expectations. He added that sexual harassment is a societal issue, and that Google will do its best.
Philadelphia Sexual Harassment Lawyers at The Gold Law Firm P.C. Fight for Sexual Harassment Victims in the Workplace
If you or a loved one has been the victim of sexual harassment in the workplace, you need the services of the experienced Philadelphia sexual harassment lawyers at The Gold Law Firm P.C. Call us at 215-569-1999 or complete an online form to arrange a free initial consultation today. Located in Philadelphia, we proudly serve clients from the surrounding areas, including Bucks County, Chester County, Delaware County, and Montgomery County.
