Google walkout: Staff leave desk in protest at sexual misconduct

Google CEO Sundar
Pichai.
Getty

• Google staff all over the
  world are staging a walkout at 11 a.m. today in protest at
  sexual misconduct.
• Campaigners predict that thousands of employees will
  take part following last week’s explosive New York Times
  report.
• Staff are calling for five changes, including a sexual
  harassment transparency report.
• Google CEO Sundar Pichai said he supports the protest
  and is listening to staff.

Google employees all over the world are abandoning their desk at
11 a.m. today in protest at the company’s handling of sexual
misconduct allegations.

It is thought that thousands of staff will stage a 10-minute
walkout under a campaign dubbed “Google Walkout For Real Change.”

The protest follows an explosive report in The New York
Times last week, detailing the alleged misconduct of senior
executives, as well as Google’s admission that it fired 48 people
for sexual harassment over the past two years.

Twitter and Instagram accounts have sprung up this week,
posting pictures of and information about the protest, which is
being observed at Google offices around the world. Here is the
Singapore office walking out:

In an automated email to Business Insider, campaign organisers
said they were “disgusted” by the details of The New York Times
report. They said it is an example of a “culture of complicity,
dismissiveness, and support for perpetrators in the face of
sexual harassment, misconduct, and abuse of power.”

They have a list of five demands for change. Here they are in the
campaign’s own words:

1. An end to Forced Arbitration in cases of harassment and
   discrimination for all current and future employees.
2. A commitment to end pay and opportunity inequity.
3. A publicly disclosed sexual harassment transparency report.
4. A clear, uniform, globally inclusive process for reporting
   sexual misconduct safely and anonymously.
5. 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.

Many Googlers are voicing their support for the protest on social
media, with some indicating their plan to participate when it is
11 a.m. in their timezone. They are using the hashtag #GoogleWalkout.

“I’m walking out tomorrow with thousands of my coworkers because
I believe it’s past time for this abuse to stop. It’s clear
neither government nor business leaders will fix this on their
own. We have to do this ourselves y’all,” engineer Amr Gaber said on
Twitter.

Read more: Google is ‘bold and inspired’ for
coming clean about its ‘Game of Thrones’ culture of sex and
power

YouTube policy executive Stephanie
Parker added: “I’m walking out tomorrow for myself, my
co-workers, and everyone whose story has never been told.”

In a comment to The New York
Times, YouTube Product Marketing Manager Claire Stapleton
said: “Google’s famous for its culture. But in reality we’re not
even meeting the basics of respect, justice and fairness for
every single person here.”

Larry
Page, the CEO of Google’s parent company
Alphabet.
Getty

In a statement to Business Insider, Google CEO Sundar Pichai said
management supports the protest. He said:

“We let Googlers know that we are aware of the activities planned
for Thursday 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 and Larry Page, the CEO of Google’s parent company
Alphabet, both apologized to staff last week for the company’s
record on sexual misconduct. Pichai reinforced that apology in
an email to staff this week.