Google employees are currently staging a walkout from various offices across the world, in protest of the company's treatment of women. Specifically, they're against how Google has treated cases of sexual harassment and sexual misconduct over the years.
The protest was triggered by recent news regarding Android creator Andy Rubin. It had been known since last year that, when he'd left the company in 2014, it was over multiple sexual misconduct allegations. What just recently emerged though, was that Google paid him an exit package of Rs 660 Crore when he left, something they did not need to do at all.
Also Read:?Google Paid Android's Creator Rs 660 Crore, After Kicking Him Out For Serious Sexual Misconduct
The protesting employees are demanding a number of changes to how Google deals with sexual misconduct allegations, including publicly disclosed transparency reports and a revamped reporting process. Most importantly though, they want to do away with the forced arbitration clause in contracts, which mandates that any employee disputes are dealt with internally rather than through courts. Effectively, this would allow Google employees to sue a co-worker or boss for sexual harassment.
CEO Sundar Pichai has said he supports the protesters' right to their action, saying he will provide them with any aid they require. "I understand the anger and disappointment that many of you feel," he said in a staff email yesterday. "I feel it as well, and I am fully committed to making progress on an issue that has persisted for far too long in our society... and, yes, here at Google, too."
On Twitter, the handle @Google Walkout has been following the protest across the world in real-time, showing employees from Zurich, London, Tokyo, Singapore and Berlin on strike as well.