Google employees worldwide have begun a series of walkouts protesting how the company has dealt with sexual harassment cases.
The “Google Walkout” is taking place today at “nearly two-thirds of Google’s global offices” at 11:10 a.m. local time, according to the organizers. GeekWire was on the scene at Google’s Seattle office in the Fremont neighborhood.
.@google employees are assembling at the company’s offices in Seattle’s Fremont neighborhood for a coordinated, company-wide walkout. #GoogleWalkout pic.twitter.com/QASpYSloCS
— GeekWire (@geekwire) November 1, 2018
Crowd growing @google in Seattle during walkout in protest of tech giant’s workplace misconduct policies. #GoogleWalkout pic.twitter.com/GV0WoysySq
— GeekWire (@geekwire) November 1, 2018
“Time is up in tech. Time is up @google. This is what Googling looks like.” Hundreds of Google workers in Seattle walk off the job to protest sexual harassment policies. #GoogleWalkout pic.twitter.com/yeaC1qyF72
— GeekWire (@geekwire) November 1, 2018
“A lot of us are not going to go back to our desks today. Don’t let this be the end of it. We can change Alphabet and Google.” #GoogleWalkout #seattle pic.twitter.com/fXiO78TVE5
— GeekWire (@geekwire) November 1, 2018
The walkouts stem from an investigation by The New York Times that found Google protected top executives accused of sexual misconduct and gave them exorbitant payments on their way out the door.
“The article provided a narrow window into a culture we, as Google employees, know well,” the organizers wrote in an article about the protests at The Cut. “These stories are our stories. We share them in hushed tones to trusted peers, friends, and partners. There are thousands of us, at every level of the company. And we’ve had enough.”
Here are the “demands” from the organizers of the walkout:
An end to Forced Arbitration in cases of harassment and discrimination for all current and future employees, along with a right for every Google worker to bring a co-worker, representative, or supporter of their choosing when meeting with HR, especially when filing a harassment claim.
A commitment to end pay and opportunity inequity, for example making sure there are women of color at all levels of the organization, and accountability for not meeting this commitment. This must be accompanied by transparent data on the gender, race and ethnicity compensation gap, across both level and years of industry experience, accessible to all Google and Alphabet employees and contractors. Such data must include, but not be limited limited to: information on relative promotion rates, under-leveling at hire, the handling of leaves, and inequity in project and job ladder change opportunities. The methods by which such data was collected and the techniques by which it was analyzed and aggregated must also be transparent.
A publicly disclosed sexual harassment transparency report, including: the number of harassment claims at Google over time and by product area; the types of claims submitted; how many victims and accused have left Google; any exit packages and their worth.
A clear, uniform, globally inclusive process for reporting sexual misconduct safely and anonymously. The process today is not working, in no small part because HRs’ performance is assessed by senior management and directors, forcing them to put management’s interests ahead of employees reporting harassment and discrimination. The improved process should also be accessible to all: full-time employees, temporary employees, vendors, and contractors alike. Accountability, safety and an ability to report unsafe working conditions should not be dictated by employment status.
Promote the Chief Diversity Officer to answer directly to the CEO and make recommendations directly to the Board of Directors. In addition, appoint an Employee Representative to the Board. Both the CDO and the Employee Representative should help allocate permanent resources for demands 1-4 and other equity efforts, ensure accountability to these demands, and propose changes when equity goals are not met.
