Hundreds of Google employees and contractors in Asia staged
brief midday walkouts on Thursday, with thousands more expected to
follow at offices worldwide, amid complaints of sexism, racism and
unchecked executive power in their workplace.
In a
statement late Wednesday, the organizers called on Google parent
Alphabet Inc to add an employee representative to its board of directors
and internally share pay-equity data.
They also asked for changes to Google’s human resources practices intended to make bringing harassment claims a fairer process.
Google
Chief Executive Sundar Pichai said in a statement that “employees have
raised constructive ideas” and that the company was “taking in all their
feedback so we can turn these ideas into action.”
Challenges
The
dissatisfaction among Alphabet’s 94,000 employees and tens of thousands
more contractors has not noticeably affected company shares.
But employees expect Alphabet to face recruiting and retention challenges if their concerns go unaddressed.
The demonstrations follow a New York Times
report last week that said Google in 2014 gave a $90 million exit
package to Andy Rubin after the then-senior vice president was accused
of sexual harassment.
Rubin denied the allegation in
the story, which he also said contained “wild exaggerations” about his
compensation. Google did not dispute the report.
The
report energized a months-long movement inside Google to increase
diversity, improve treatment of women and minorities and ensure the
company upholds its motto of “don’t be evil” as it expands.
Much
of the organising earlier this year was internal, including petition
drives, brainstorming sessions with top executives and training from the
workers’ rights group Coworker.org.
On Thursday, employees posted on social media about the walkout and were set to deliver speeches in public plazas.
Since
its founding two decades ago, Google has been known around the world
for its exceptional transparency with workers. Executives’ goals and
insights into corporate strategy have been accessible to any employee.
But
organisers said Google executives, like leaders at other companies
affected by the #metoo movement, have been slow to address some
structural issues.
“While Google has championed the
language of diversity and inclusion, substantive actions to address
systemic racism, increase equity, and stop sexual harassment have been
few and far between,” organizers stated.
They said
Google must publicly report its sexual harassment statistics and end
forced arbitration in harassment cases. In addition, they asked that the
chief diversity officer be able to directly advise the board.
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