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Facebook, Airbnb, and EBay have joined Google in ending their forced arbitration clauses as part of their revisions to their sexual harassment and sexual assault policy.
Forced arbitration has been long criticized as a way for companies and perpetrators to keep sexual harassment and sexual assault complaints hushed and private (away from court and public eye) and thereby skirting consequences.
Google’s change comes on the heels of a massive walkout of over twenty thousand Google employees who protested the mishandling of misconduct complaints involving high-level executives. These executives, The NY Times reported, were given large severance packages or promotions after they faced allegations of sexual misconduct.
In a memo released to staff by Google’s CEO, changes to the sexual harassment and assault policy include:
- Optional arbitration
- A consolidated site for reporting with live support
- Extended counseling and career support for victims
- More transparency on answering concerns
- Updating the mandatory sexual harassment training
News of the massive walkout and the policy changes Google has implemented has sparked other companies reconsider their sexual harassment and discrimination policies.
Although Google has revised their policy to make arbitration optional, they have stated they may still recommend it, citing privacy concerns for the victim.
Public cases involving sexual harassment and misconduct can be devastating for a company’s image. For instance, news coverage of sexual harassment allegations from ride share company Uber had many customers switching to Lyft.
Victims of sexual harassment, misconduct, and assault can consult with an attorney to learn more about their rights. For more information, send us a message.
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