Google employees have support of CEO as walkout amid sexual misconduct reports begins
Google employees walked out of the company's many offices across the world on Thursday to protest reportedly volatile conditions workers for the tech giant deal with.
"We were disgusted by the details of the recent New York Times article, which provided the latest example of a culture of complicity, dismissiveness, and support for perpetrators in the face of sexual harassment, misconduct, and abuse of power," organizers of the #GoogleWalkout said in a statement to Fox News. "Sadly, this is part of a longstanding problem, one further amplified by systemic racism. We know this culture well."
CEO Sundar Pichai gave his employees free rein to walk out of work and protest on Thursday following the bombshell Times report that highlighted the ways the company shielded some employees from accusations of sexual misconduct.
“Earlier this week, we let Googlers know that we are aware of the activities planned for today and that employees will have the support they need if they wish to participate. Employees have raised constructive ideas for how we can improve our policies and our processes going forward. We are taking in all their feedback so we can turn these ideas into action,” Pichai said.
In an internal memo sent to employees Tuesday and obtained by Axios, Pichai wrote that he is “deeply sorry” for the company’s past actions and the pain they have caused employees.
“Larry mentioned this on stage last week, but it bears repeating: if even one person experiences Google the way the New York Times article described, we are not the company we aspire to be,” Pichai wrote.
His note follows a similar one from last week, in which he revealed that the company has fired 48 employees over the last two years for sexual harassment, including 13 “senior managers and above,” noting that no one received an exit package.
However, the original Times report alleged that Google did in fact give former Android executive Andy Rubin a $90 million exit package, despite finding sexual misconduct claims against him credible.
Rubin has adamantly denied those allegations against him.
What’s more, on Tuesday, before the note, another Google executive resigned following reports of multiple incidents of harassment, including improper conduct with a job applicant.
Richard DeVaul, director at the X subsidiary of Google parent Alphabet, the company's moonshot unit, reportedly left the company early Tuesday and did not receive an exit package, Axios first reported.
While a Google spokesperson would not immediately respond to FOX Business’ request for comment on the planned walkout or DeVaul’s exit, Pichai told employees that Google’s head of people operations, Eileen Naughton, “will be sure managers are aware of the activities planned for Thursday and that you have the support you need.”