Google Fires Author of Controversial Diversity Memo

Google this week fired the employee who penned a controversial, x-folio memo that questioned the company's diversity efforts.

In a annotation to employees posted on the Google blog, CEO Sundar Pichai stressed that "we strongly support the right of Googlers to express themselves, and much of what was in that memo is off-white to debate, regardless of whether a vast majority of Googlers disagree with it. However, portions of the memo violate our Code of Conduct and cantankerous the line by advancing harmful gender stereotypes in our workplace."

Reports of the memo start emerged concluding week on Motherboard; Gizmodo later published information technology in full.

The memo started with a call for an honest give-and-take on variety and inclusion; the employee writes that he is "not denying that sexism exists, and [I] don't endorse using stereotypes," but criticized Google's "culture of shaming and misrepresentation, [which] is disrespectful and unaccepting of anyone exterior its echo bedchamber."

But he then argues that "differences in distributions of traits betwixt men and women may in function explicate why we don't have fifty per centum representation of women in tech and leadership," and says "discrimination to reach equal representation is unfair, divisive, and bad for business."

In a department called "Personality differences," the employee trots out the usual stereotypes about women, including that they "on average, have more...neuroticism (higher anxiety, lower stress tolerance)." Co-ordinate to him, "this may contribute to the higher levels of anxiety women report on [Google's yearly surveys] and to the lower number of women in high stress jobs."

In his memo, Pichai says "our co-workers shouldn't take to worry that each time they open their mouths to speak in a meeting, they have to prove that they are non like the memo states, beingness 'agreeable' rather than 'assertive,' showing a 'lower stress tolerance,' or being 'neurotic.'"

Pichai does acknowledge, notwithstanding, that "there are co-workers who are questioning whether they tin safely express their views in the workplace (especially those with a minority viewpoint). They too feel nether threat, and that is also not OK. People must feel free to express dissent.

"I'd encourage each of y'all to make an effort over the coming days to reach out to those who might have dissimilar perspectives from your own. I volition be doing the same," according to Pichai, who says he's cutting short a planned family unit vacation to accost how to "create a more inclusive environs for all."

About Chloe Albanesius

Chloe has led PCMag'due south news coverage for more than 10 years, editing and writing stories about the innovations that have shaped the last decade and the companies behind them. She likewise oversees the site's how-to coverage. Before joining PCMag.com, Chloe was a reporter roofing tech policy on Capitol Hill for The National Journal's Technology Daily and financial IT for Incisive Media in NYC. She's held internships at NBC'southward Run into the Press, washingtonpost.com, the Tate Gallery press role in London, Ringlet Telephone call, and Congressional Quarterly. She graduated with a bachelor's degree in journalism from American University in Washington, D.C.

Source: https://sea.pcmag.com/news/16921/google-fires-author-of-controversial-diversity-memo

Posted by: woodsthomfor1997.blogspot.com

Share this post