Google Employees Walk Out to Protest Discrimination
The hashtag #GoogleWalkout trends on Twitter today (November 1) as hundreds of Google employees around the world leave work in protest of what they describe as a toxic and discriminatory work culture. Tweets using the hashtag and shared by a corresponding account show that hundreds of workers joined the protest.
Today, we walk. #GoogleWalkout ✊?✊?✊?✊?✊? pic.twitter.com/OPhCvoYv9z
— Kendra Desrosiers (@KD) November 1, 2018
A speaker representing the Black Googler Team is now speaking about how everyone at Google—at all levels—needs to be treated with respect #GoogleWalkout pic.twitter.com/YXJgOOazU8
— Gizmodo (@Gizmodo) November 1, 2018
Several employees who organized the action explained its genesis and demands in an essay for The Cut. They reference a recent investigation by The New York Times that revealed several occasions when the company allegedly protected executives after they were accused of sexual harassment and assault.
"The article provided a narrow window into a culture we, as Google employees, know well," the organizers wrote. "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."
"We demand an end to the sexual harassment, discrimination and the systemic racism that fuel this destructive culture," the letter continues. To that end, the organizers' demands include the following:
- The end of forced arbitration for harassment and discrimination complaints
- Transparency and parity with regard to pay and other opportunities for all races, ethnicities and genders
- The promotion of more women of color to leadership positions, and accountability measures for those who don't comply
- Public release of the number of sexual harassment claims at Google and how they were settled
- A reorganization that has the chief diversity officer report directly to the CEO and issue recommendations to the board of directors