Google Agrees to Sweeping Changes in Settlement of Sexual Harassment Suits

Labor News

Reprinted from The Wall Street Journal by Rob Copeland on September 25, 2020.

Google’s parent agreed to overhaul how it treats allegations of sexual misconduct in its executive ranks, ending a tumultuous period in the company’s history that led to employee walkouts and internal outrage.

Alphabet Inc. will put $310 million into a new fund for diversity and inclusion initiatives, as well as loosen restrictions on employees who want to speak publicly about sexual harassment and retaliation claims.

New policies include making arbitration optional for employees and contractors in dispute with the company, and forbidding romantic relationships between bosses and subordinates.

The moves were part of a settlement announced Friday of a series of shareholder lawsuits dating back nearly two years. …

WSJ 9/25

About Jeffrey Burman 861 Articles
Jeff Burman served on the Guild’s Board of Directors from 1992 to 2019. He is now retired. He can be reached at jeffrey.s.burman.57@gmail.com.