Ulku Rowe, a Google Cloud engineering director, has sued Google for paying her less than her male counterparts who had similar roles and less experience. She also claimed that Google denied her promotions and retaliated against her for complaining about the pay gap.
Rowe had 23 years of experience in the tech industry when she joined Google in 2017. She alleged that Google hired her at a lower level and salary than men who were hired for similar positions at the same time. She also said that she was passed over for a promotion in favor of a less qualified male colleague.
Rowe filed a lawsuit against Google in 2019, alleging gender-based discrimination and retaliation in violation of the New York City Human Rights Law. She sought compensatory and punitive damages, as well as injunctive relief to prevent further discrimination at Google.
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The Verdict
On October 21, 2023, a jury in New York found that Google did commit gender-based discrimination and retaliation against Rowe. The jury ordered Google to pay Rowe $1.1 million for punitive damages and pain and suffering.
Rowe’s lawyer, Cara Green of Outten & Golden, said that the verdict not only validated Rowe’s allegations of mistreatment by Google, but also sent a message that discrimination and retaliation will not be tolerated in the workplace.
Green also credited the efforts of thousands of Googlers who walked out in 2018 and demanded reforms on Google’s handling of sexual harassment and bias issues.
The Context
Rowe’s case is one of the many lawsuits that have been filed against Google by current and former employees who have accused the company of various forms of discrimination, harassment, and retaliation.
In 2017, four women sued Google for systematically underpaying women compared to men with similar qualifications and responsibilities. The case was granted class-action status in 2020, covering about 10,800 women who worked at Google since 2013.
In 2018, about 20,000 Googlers staged a global walkout to protest Google’s culture of sexism and lack of accountability for sexual misconduct by senior executives. The protest was sparked by a New York Times report that revealed that Google had paid millions of dollars to some executives who were accused of sexual harassment, including Android creator Andy Rubin.
In 2020, two prominent female AI researchers, Timnit Gebru and Margaret Mitchell, were fired by Google after they raised concerns about the ethical implications of some of Google’s AI projects. Their firings sparked outrage and criticism from the AI community and beyond.
Google has denied any wrongdoing in all these cases and has maintained that it has a strong commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. However, the company has also faced scrutiny from regulators and lawmakers over its employment practices and its dominance in the tech industry.
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How does Google plan to address these issues going forward?
Google has stated that it is committed to building a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace and society, as well as creating products that work better for more people. According to its diversity annual reports, Google has taken several actions to address these issues, such as:
Setting and achieving hiring goals for underrepresented groups, especially Black+, Latinx+, and Native American+ employees in the U.S. and women globally.
Expanding programs and policies to support the retention, progression, and development of employees from different backgrounds and identities.
Investing responsibly in the communities where Google operates, and supporting local businesses and organizations that promote diversity and inclusion.
Implementing new practices and tools to make hybrid work more flexible and accessible for all employees, especially those with disabilities.
Fostering a culture of belonging and innovation, where everyone can feel seen, heard, and valued, and where diverse perspectives can lead to better products and solutions.
Google has also acknowledged that it still has a long way to go and that it needs to continue listening, learning, and improving. The company has said that it will keep working on embedding diversity, equity, and inclusion into its core values, operations, and culture.