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Over the last two years, Google has fired 48 people for sexual harassment, including 13 members of senior management and above. CEO Sundar Pichai sent an email to company employees yesterday, October 25th, stating Google is “dead serious about making sure we provide a safe and inclusive workplace.”
The email encouraged employees to report harassment and went on to say, “There are serious consequences for anyone who behaves inappropriately.”
The email was sent after The New York Times reported that Google had given Android creator, Andy Rubin a $90 million dollar exit package after accusations of sexual misconduct with an employee. According to the The New York Times, two company executives told them that Rubin had been having an affair with the employee who claimed Rubin had forced her into “performing oral sex in a hotel room in 2013.” Google’s CEO at the time, Larry Page found the employees claims to be credible and asked Rubin to resign.
Mr. Rubin was given a champions farewell when he left the company in October 2014. In a public statement, Page said “I want to wish Andy all the best with what’s next,” adding “With Android he created something truly remarkable – with a billion-plus happy users.”
Google could have fired Rubin and not paid him at all, instead the company handed him a $90 million dollar exit package. Rubin is not the only senior executive that’s been paid after being accused of sexual misconduct. Paying millions of dollars to at least two other executives upon their resignations, although they had no obligation to do so. In each instance, Google was silent about the accusations involving each man.
