A recently let go employee of Google said that his time working for the tech giant was a burden. His reason for the comment was based on the fact that he is black. In his internal memo, the employee also alleged the company was insensitive and racist towards him and other employees working for the company.
The memo was obtained by Motherboard and the title of it was called “The Weight of Silence.” According to the author of the memo, there were many hateful words spoken to him by different co-workers during his five years working for the company. Many of those employees were managers. Some of the same co-workers boasted about gentrifying neighborhoods and loved to mock people speaking other languages. He also spoke about the fact some candidates were being rejected based on color.
According to Fox News, the author of the memo went on to say that he broke his silence and ended up trying to educate his coworkers on discrimination. Even though things changed a little, he said he still felt like the color of his skin was a burden while working for Google. Over time, the weight of the insensitive comments he received took their toll. He began to feel less safe working at Google and decided it was time to leave.
After taking some time to reflect, the author offered some recommendations for Google to improve diversity and inclusion so employees can feel safe while working. One recommendation includes taking a hard look at the candidate referral program the company has to offer and work towards incentivizing more diversity. Secondly, he recommends Google harness the benefits of virtual reality to help foster empathy and encourage workers to unlearn their biases. Lastly, the author recommends that Google provide mental health support options for people who need them.
There have been other employees who work for Google that have submitted internal memos criticizing the company over many types of issues. One of those memos alleges the company discriminates against pregnant women. This post ended up going viral. The author of the memo also alleges that she suffered discrimination and retaliation during her pregnancy.
According to a spokeswoman from Google, workers of the company are prohibited from retaliation in the workplace. She also said that Google is very clear on this policy and shares it publicly. Google works hard to make sure no complaint submitted goes unheard. Employees are given many options for reporting their concerns anonymously. All accusations are taken seriously and Google works hard to investigate any allegations regarding retaliation against other employees.
Dil Bole Oberoi
