sexualharassment
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An Ubisoft VP has resigned following assault and misconduct allegations
Several current and former Ubisoft Toronto employees have described it as having a toxic culture.
Google makes it easier for employees to report harassment
Google is making it easier for employees to file harassment and discrimination complaints by setting up a dedicated site for them to do so. Melonie Parker, the company's chief diversity officer, wrote in a letter to employees that Google has firmed up some of the commitments it made in November following an outcry from employees.
Lawsuit accuses Google of hefty payouts to execs accused of misconduct
Google's handling of sexual misconduct by executives is coming under more scrutiny thanks to new details emerging from a shareholder lawsuit. Investors have claimed Google chief Larry Page granted Android creator Andy Rubin a $150 million stock grant without seeking approval of the board first, even though Rubin was under an investigation at the time. Page instead got "rubber stamp" approval eight days after the fact, according to the suit. It's not certain if he was aware of the investigation.
Google sued for allegedly covering up sexual misconduct allegations
A shareholder for Google's parent company Alphabet has sued the tech giant, accusing it of covering up sexual harassment claims against some of its top executives. The lawsuit filed by shareholder James Martin said Alphabet's board of directors, including Larry Page, Sergey Brin and Eric Schmidt, were directly involved in the coverup. Martin supported his lawsuit with minutes from Alphabet board meetings in 2014 and 2016 concerning Andy Rubin and Amit Singhal, respectively. Both former Google executives left the company after sexual harassment complaints -- Rubin, in particular, received a $90 million exit package even though an internal investigation found the claims against him credible.
Fox investigates Neil deGrasse Tyson over sexual misconduct claims (updated)
Astrophysicist and Cosmos host Neil deGrasse Tyson is facing investigations by Fox, National Geographic and show producers in the wake of fresh claims of sexual misconduct. The two networks told Hollywood Reporter in a statement that they were "reviewing" allegations from two women in a Patheos story who accused deGrasse Tyson of groping and making unwanted sexual advances. The Cosmos team, meanwhile, said they would embody the philosophy of the show and "follow the evidence wherever it leads" with its investigation.
Google updates sexual harassment policies following protest
Google has faced quite a bit of criticism and pushback regarding how it has handled sexual harassment accusations in the past, and thousands of employees walked out of their offices in protest last week. Now, ahead of a company town hall meeting, Google CEO Sundar Pichai has released new policies that will guide how the company handles such accusations going forward. "Over the past few weeks Google's leaders and I have heard your feedback and have been moved by the stories you've shared," Pichai wrote. "We recognize that we have not always gotten everything right in the past and we are sincerely sorry for that. It's clear we need to make some changes."
Google Walkout leaders call for transparency on sexual misconduct
The organizers of the Google employee walkout have outlined how they want the company to address sexual misconduct at the company, and they're quite clear in their demands. The Walkout for Real Change group is primarily focused on accountability and transparency, starting with an end to forced arbitration for harassment and discrimination cases, which tends to keep cases secret. This would give staff the power to take these cases to court. Employees also want the right to bring a "co-worker, representative or supporter" with them when meeting human resources to discuss claims.
Google 'Walkout For Real Change' to include 'thousands' Thursday
One week after a New York Times report dug into incidents of sexual misconduct among high-ranking Google and Alphabet executives -- followed by departures afterward that included large payouts or continued employment -- employees are proceeding with their planned protest. The Google Walkout For Real Change has listed five specific demands: An end to Forced Arbitration in cases of harassment and discrimination for all current and future employees. A commitment to end pay and opportunity inequity. A publicly disclosed sexual harassment transparency report. A clear, uniform, globally inclusive process for reporting sexual misconduct safely and anonymously. Elevate the Chief Diversity Officer to answer directly to the CEO and make recommendations directly to the Board of Directors. Appoint an Employee Rep to the Board. At 11:10 AM in their local time zones, starting in Tokyo, employees and contractors began walking out in solidarity and leaving this flyer behind. Organizers have said they expect thousands to participate. Since the report surfaced, CEO Sundar Pichai said "We are dead serious about making sure we provide a safe and inclusive workplace. We want to assure you that we review every single complaint about sexual harassment or inappropriate conduct, we investigate and we take action." According to Vanity Fair, he said in a memo that managers "are aware of the activities planned for Thursday."
Google employees reportedly plan walkout over sexual misconduct
Google employees are once more confronting their leadership over controversial decisions. BuzzFeed News has learned that 200-plus Google engineers are planning a "women's walk" on November 1st that would protest the company's reported protection of Andy Rubin and other employees involved in sexual misconduct. The tech firm had tried to assuage concerns by apologizing, explaining its reasoning and revealing that it had fired 50 people for misconduct, but that hasn't been enough. Women at Google saw a "pattern" of men either going unpunished for misconduct or getting a "golden parachute" when forced out, according to one employee posting in an internal discussion forum.
Google has fired nearly 50 employees for sexual misconduct since 2016
On the heels of Thursday morning's news claiming that Andy "Father of Android" Rubin forced one of his subordinates to perform a sex act and also received a $90 million golden parachute when the company found out about the sexual assault accusations, Google CEO Sundar Pichai admits that sexual harassment at the company goes beyond this one incident.
Uber will pay 56 employees a total of $1.9 million for harassment claims
Uber is nearing a final settlement regarding numerous sexual harassment and discrimination claims. Bloomberg reports today that 56 current and former employees who filed claims of sexual harassment will split $1.9 million, receiving just under $34,000 each on average. Additionally, members of a class action suit who claimed the company discriminated against women and people of color, will each receive nearly $11,000 apiece on average as part of a $10 million settlement.
‘Arrested Development’ creator: Tambor too crucial to cut
While Netflix confirmed that Jeffrey Tambor would appear on the fifth season of Arrested Development, it wasn't clear how much. The actor left Transparent in February after multiple sexual harassment allegations kept the show in limbo, raising the question of whether his role on the lauded sitcom would be trimmed or cut due to controversy. Not so, apparently. In an Entertainment Weekly interview, the series creator and showrunner Mitch Hurwitz defended Tambor and assured he would remain in the season because, well, they'd already filmed it -- and he was too central to snip out.
Lyft drops arbitration requirement for sexual assault cases
Uber isn't the only ridesharing company dropping forced arbitration for sexual assault cases. Lyft is following suit and removing its own arbitration requirement, including confidentiality agreements. This covers both passengers and workers, Lyft said. In other words, survivors can pursue cases in public court and freely share their experiences.
Uber won't force sexual assault survivors into arbitration
Uber is responding to mounting complaints about its forced arbitration for sexual assault and harassment cases. The ridesharing firm has announced that it's no longer requiring arbitration for these complaints. While that's still an option if survivors want privacy above all else, they're now free to seek justice in court (including through class action lawsuits) and, importantly, to freely discuss their cases. They previously had to hold to non-disclosure agreements that prevented them from drawing attention to systemic problems or even seeking outside help.
Senator urges Uber to stop forced arbitration in sexual assault cases
A CNN investigation recently revealed that Uber has had at least 103 different sexual assault cases filed against its drivers in the past four years. What's worse is that Uber has also reportedly forced victims to settle their cases via arbitration rather than open court, a move which helps keep the epidemic silent. Democratic senator Richard Blumenthal is now calling on the company to release the survivors of these assaults from these agreements and allow them to seek justice in court.
Ford president Raj Nair leaves over 'inappropriate behavior'
Ford will have to adjust its technology strategy, and not for the right reasons. The automaker's North America President Raj Nair has left the company after an internal investigation determined that "inappropriate behavior" was out of line with the employee code of conduct. While the company wouldn't actually say what that was, it noted that it was committed to a "safe and respectful culture."
Amazon confirms Jeffrey Tambor won't return to 'Transparent'
Jeffrey Tambor's role in Transparent has been in limbo for months following sexual harassment allegations, but there's no ambiguity now: he's out. Amazon has confirmed that Tambor won't return to the series following an internal investigation into his conduct. Tambor had denied claims of intentional harassment and argued that the "politicized atmosphere" made it impractical for him to come back, but he had never gone so far as to formally depart.
NBC's Jennifer Salke is the new Amazon Studios chief
Amazon Studios has a head executive once again. Back in October, the film and TV production division's previous chief Roy Price had resigned days after he was publicly accused of sexual harassment. Today, NBC Entertainment president Jennifer Salke was named as his replacement, and is expected to remain at the network until she transitions into her new position heading Amazon Studios.
Uber hires first chief diversity officer to further reform its culture
Last year, Susan Fowler, a former Uber employee, penned an essay detailing rampant sexual harassment and sexism at the company as well as a complete lack of interest on the part of administrators to do anything about it. That report led to an investigation, a handful of firings and eventually a new CEO. The investigation into Uber's toxic culture, conducted by Eric Holder and Tammy Albarran and shared with the company last June, recommended the company establish a chief diversity and inclusion officer position and now Uber finally has.
Ex-Google employee behind anti-diversity memo sues for discrimination (updated)
James Damore, the Google employee who was fired after circulating an anti-diversity memo last August, isn't over his dismissal apparently as he has now filed a lawsuit against his former employer. Damore filed a class-action complaint today in a California court alongside another former Google employee, David Gudeman. Both men say they were "ostracized, belittled and punished for their heterodox political views, and for the added sin of their birth circumstances of being Caucasians and/or males."
