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Google Under Fire For Alleged Retaliation Against Employees


Last week, it was reported that based upon internal documentation from Google, dozens of workers at the company stated that when they filed complaints with the company's human resources department (in regard to harassment related matters), these employees were retaliated against by being demoted, pushed out, and given less desirable projects.  Current and former Google employees have backed this information up, claiming they are afraid to report workplace issues out of fear of retaliation.

Let us take a step back, though.  Readers might recall that last year, there was widespread attention given to a walkout by employees at the company when it became known that Google had paid out over $100 million to executives at the company accused of harassment in the workplace.  Now give credit where credit is due, as Google immediately thereafter announced it would overhaul its sexual misconduct policies (by eliminating required arbitration of sexual harassment and sexual assault claims) and would make an effort to support workers that raised concerns.

However, as reported last week, many current and former employees at the company feel Google has not followed through.  With that being said, Google's Vice President of People Operations commented last week that Google rigorously investigated all instances of inappropriate conduct that were reported and were taking steps to make the investigation process more transparent.

In a politically charged environment where many Democratic candidates for President are eager to push back against large scale employers, such as Google, I would not be surprised to see this matter gain further traction in the coming weeks and months.  Stay tuned.


For additional information:  https://www.vox.com/recode/2019/9/9/20853647/google-employee-retaliation-harassment-me-too-exclusive

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