GOOG Alphabet Inc

   By Stephen Nakrosis 
 

Google chief executive Sundar Pichai, in a note to employees Thursday, outlined the company's new policies toward its handling of sexual harassment and assault claims by workers.

According to the note, the company will consolidate reporting channels into one dedicated site, which will include live support. Also, the company said it will offer extra resources to employees, "including extended counseling and careers support."

Mr. Pichai also said arbitration would become optional for individual sexual harassment and sexual assault claims. "Google has never required confidentiality in the arbitration process and arbitration still may be the best path for a number of reasons (e.g. personal privacy) but, we recognize that choice should be up to you," he wrote.

The company also will update and expand its sexual harassment training, the note said.

"Going forward, we will provide more transparency on how we handle concerns. We'll give better support and care to the people who raise them. And we will double down on our commitment to be a representative, equitable, and respectful workplace," he wrote.

The new note comes just days after thousands of Google employees around the world staged a series of walkouts to protest a workplace culture that they say promotes and protects perpetrators of sexual harassment at the tech giant.

Google is a unit of Alphabet Inc. (GOOG).

--Write to Stephen Nakrosis at stephen.nakrosis@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

November 08, 2018 12:11 ET (17:11 GMT)

Copyright (c) 2018 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.