Workers in Florida and throughout the country may recall the walkout engineered by Google employees in 2018. Roughly 20,000 people took part in the event protesting the company’s treatment of executives who were accused of sexual harassment. Although Google said that it would work to be more supportive of those who reported such issues, employees say that this isn’t the case. Employees have also said that they were demoted or otherwise retaliated against after bringing their concerns to HR.
A representative for Google said that it takes courage to report misconduct and that all claims are thoroughly investigated. The representative also said the complaint process was simplified and that the company aims to be more transparent about its policies. However, those who work for Google say that there is still a high level of secrecy as it relates to sexual harassment and other workplace issues.
Furthermore, they say that the problem is even worse when the accused is a manager or other important employee. In response, employees started an anonymous mailing list to share stories of harassment and discrimination. It only took a few months for several stories of mental health retaliation to surface. Generally speaking, it is more likely for individuals to tell their stories privately as opposed to working directly with a company’s HR department.
People who feel that they have been the victims of harassment or retaliation might want to meet with an attorney to discuss their situation. If the case is strong and can not be resolved through internal channels, the next step might be the filing of a claim with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
