Google CEO Sundar Pichai, email after misconduct settlement
Alphabet and Google CEO Sundar Pichai on Friday sent out a stern warning to all employees, pointing them to a brand new settlement between the corporate and shareholders who alleged it did not respond appropriately to the allegations sexual misconduct and harassment.
”I hope these commitments serve as a strong signal to all of you that we are not going back in time,”, said Pichai.
The settlement includes a $310 million commitment to fund a board to oversee diversity and equality issues.
Also as sweeping policy changes including the elimination of compulsory arbitration, safeguards on payments for alleged harassers.
And limits on the company’s use of non-disclosure agreements to employees involved in business.
Pichai’s Memo
The memo shows Pichai features a harsher tone than the company’s blog on Friday. Furthermore memo describes five of the changes and frames them as a results of Google’s internal efforts.
It also comes as Pichai, whose management team initially approved payments from executives in question like Andy Rubin, has been trying to reshape aspects of the company’s culture since taking up as CEO of Alphabet in last December.
“It is very important to me that we stand at the highest level possible as a workplace on misconduct issues, and provide care and support to those who report them,” Pichai said in Friday’s email.
Pichai further said, “I have worked closely with our teams and our board to make sure we do this.”
Sexual Misconduct
In 2019, shareholders took action against Alphabet’s board of directors for allegedly shielding senior executives from accusations of:
1. Sexual misconduct
2. Alleging breach of legal duty
3. Abuse of control
4. Unfortunate enrichment
5. Cause and a waste of business assets
Media later reported that the board has formed an independent subcommittee and hired firm to research;
How executives handled complaints of harassment and other misconduct from General Counsel David Drummond and others.
In the year that followed, several executives named within the lawsuit, including Drummond and co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin, retired from their official leadership roles with the corporate.
“I am personally dedicated to doing the hard work ahead and building on the progress we’ve made together to build a better Google for everyone,” Pichai concluded.
But it seems like Pichai email didn’t sit well with the employees.
