Google has committed to changing the way it handles sexual misconduct cases, following its workforce staging a walk-out from its offices across the globe recently. The workers protested following a report that the Company had terminated 48 employees, including senior officials, who were accused of sexual misconduct. The employees had expressed their disapproval of the manner in which such cases were treated at Google.
With an aim to calm the discontented employees, Sundar Pichai, CEO, Google, revealed the alterations the Company plans to make in its policies so that sexual harassment cases and complaints are handled better in future. Pichai was apologetic and admitted that the Company had made mistakes in the past. He also ensured more transparency within the organisation in terms of handling such cases, and promised support and counseling to the concerned employees.
“This is an area where we need to continually make progress and are committed to doing so.” Sundar pichai, CEO, Google
Earlier, he had shared that sexual harassment training would be made mandatory. In his own words, “This is an area where we need to continually make progress and are committed to doing so.”
Approximately 20,000 Google employees had participated in 50 cities, globally last week protesting what they felt was inappropriate handling of misconduct cases by the Company’s ‘male-dominated system’. As a result, the Company had given in to the demand of dropping compulsory arbitration in sexual misconduct cases, which has now been made optional. The employees had also demanded that they be given the right to bring along an associate, representative, or supporter at the time of filing a harassment claim.