It is hard for a company to buck long-standing gender norms and stereotypes, but in the United States, it isn’t an option. Since gender and racial equality are written into law, businesses must find a way to overcome any lingering cultural negativity and embrace fair workplaces for all. Employment discrimination has negative impacts on the well-being of employees, and the company will also suffer as a result. California technology giant Google is currently grappling with these issues as more ex-employees speak out about their experience of bias on the job.
In a recent Glamour article, three women came forward to share what it was like for them while they were employed at Google. One woman reported that she did not see many women in the top ranks of the company. She also noted that persons of color were underrepresented as well. One report of the gender and ethnic makeup of Google employees indicates that she may be right. Fifty six percent of employees there are Caucasian, and 69 percent of employees are male.
The other women noted incidents in which they felt they were unfairly targeted because of their race or gender. One African-American employee said that she was frequently asked for her security badge while others typically were not. She said that she overheard racist jokes and that the daily onslaught of harassment made her feel that she had to leave the job.
A speaker for the company has said that hearing about this type of employment discrimination is saddening, and that the California company is taking steps to correct the issue. She noted that change takes time. An employee experiencing harassment does not have time to wait for businesses to catch up to current law. Any employee who has been the victim of unfair treatment in the workplace is entitled to file a suit to seek justice. Many choose to use the help of a lawyer to accomplish their goals.
Source: glamour.com, “3 Women Who Quit Their Jobs at Google Share Stories of Workplace Racism and Sexism“, Tess Kornfeld, Accessed on Sept. 9, 2017