This year, Google has received a lot of bad publicity for being the defendant in a series of lawsuits. The international company is facing multiple lawsuits from its own employees.
The lawsuits have been filed by employees in Silicon Valley in the United States. However, implications of them are clear for employers in other jurisdictions as well, including United Kingdom.
Managers at all companies should pay close attention to the developments at Google and implement managerial training policies to avoid facing similar lawsuits.
Allegations of discrimination against conservatives and white men
Last summer, former engineer James Damore published a memo about some controversial gender issues facing Google. Damore stated that some biological factors, such as increased likelihood for neuroticism and higher levels of empathy played a role in the challenges female engineers face. He also argued against gender hiring quotas.
Damore was fired for his statements shortly thereafter. In January, the former engineer initiated a class-action lawsuit against Google. He claimed that the company openly discriminated against Caucasian males and conservatives. He attached screenshots of statements made by Google managers to support his claims. Several other employees have joined his lawsuit, including a fired Hispanic employee that claims he was fired for his conservative beliefs.
Recruiter allegations of racial and gender discrimination
James Damore isn’t the only white man suing Google for allegations of discrimination. Earlier this year, a former recruiter claimed that Google instructed recruiters to dismiss applications of white and Asian men with less than five years of experience. He attached a screenshot of an email from his supervisor, which appears to corroborate his claim.
