Google to End Forced Arbitration for Sexual Harassment Claims

By Douglas MacMillan

Google said it would end its requirement for employee sexual harassment claims to be handled in private arbitration, a move that comes one week after thousands of workers walked out of the company's offices around the world to protest its handling of workplace issues.

In a memo on Thursday, Chief Executive Sundar Pichai told staff that Google will also include more granular details about sexual harassment claims in regular reports and provide more services to employees who raise concerns, including counseling and career support.

"Going forward, we will provide more transparency on how we handle concerns," Mr. Pichai said in the memo.

The Alphabet Inc. unit follows tech peers like Microsoft Corp. and Uber Technologies Inc. in opting to end forced arbitration, a widespread but controversial practice that prevents U.S. workers from suing their employers in open court. Companies prefer arbitration for sexual-harassment claims because it tends to lead to quicker settlements at a lower cost than class-action suits and may shield companies from bad publicity.

(More to Come)

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

November 08, 2018 12:22 ET (17:22 GMT)

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