Gender dispute forces Google CEO to cancel town hall meeting

Sundar Pichai the CEO of Google has been forced to cancel an internal town hall meeting over a gender dispute rocking the tech company.

The gathering which was meant to address gender discrimination on Thursday after employee questions for management began to leak online from the company’s internal messaging service has been unavoidably canceled.

Pichai while revealing why the meeting was canceled said in an email to staff that several Google employees became fearful for their safety and grew concerned about being ousted for speaking up at the town hall.

He said the company will aim to create several other forums “where people can feel comfortable to speak freely.” Pichai’s email was sent about an hour before the event was to start Thursday afternoon.

Read also: 60 former, current employees plan to sue Google over workplace culture

Over 60 former and current female employees of the tech company are considering a suit over pay gap and sexism allegations.

The possible lawsuit will reportedly build on the US Department of Labor’s probe into allegations of Google systematically underpaying its female staff. The possible legal action also reportedly involves allegations of workplace sexism.

News of the possible lawsuit comes in the aftermath of a 10-page anti-diversity manifesto authored by Google employee James Damore, which left Silicon Valley reeling. Damore, who has since been fired, has also said that he was considering suing Google.

 

RipplesNigeria ….without borders, without fears

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now