Google Tackles Investigation Of How It Treats Black Workers: Report

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The California Department of Employment and Fair Housing (DFEH) is investigating how Google treats its female employees of color, according to media reports.

The US regulator asked Google workers questions about harassment and discrimination after receiving formal complaints, The Verge reports.

According to its recent diversity report, black women make up about 1.8 percent of Google’s workforce and there is “room for improvement.”

Referring to the ongoing investigation, a Google spokesperson said the tech giant has invested in loyalty programs to “make Google a more welcoming place for black employees.”

“Our goal is to ensure that every employee experiences Google as an inclusive workplace and we have focused on creating sustainable equity for Google’s black community. For example, 2020 was our biggest year ever for the hiring of Googlers Black + in the US – “both in general and in tech roles,” the spokesperson said.

The investigation comes at a time when Google has been criticized multiple times for gender discrimination and workplace harassment.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) researcher Timnit Gebru, who was fired by Google after sending a concern email to his Ethical AI team, has now created his own research institute which will be an independent institution rooted in the community set up to counter the pervasive spread of Big Tech’s influence on AI research, development and dissemination.

Gebru was the technical co-lead of Google’s Ethical Artificial Intelligence team. She was fired via an email in which she expressed her doubts about Google’s commitment to inclusion and diversity.

Two Google engineers, including one of Indian descent, left Google due to Gebru’s abrupt layoff.

While technical director David Baker said Gebru’s layoff “extinguished” his willingness to work at the company, software engineer Vinesh Kannan announced he would be leaving because Gebru and April Christina Curley, a diversity recruiter , they were “wrong”.

Both Gebru and Curley were known for their advocacy of greater diversity in the tech industry.

Several Google employees said the company suggested they seek mental health advice or take leave when they complained of racism or sexual harassment in the workplace.

According to a report that appeared on NBC News earlier this year, Google’s human resources (HR) department encouraged them to take mental health leave, even when their complaints weren’t related to those concerns.

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(Only the title and image of this report may have been reworked by Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is automatically generated from a syndicated feed.)

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