Following the anti-diversity memo floating around Google (NASDAQ:GOOGL), the tech giant faces further trouble as over 60 employees are considering a class-action lawsuit accusing the company of sexism and pay disparities against women.
According to these current and previous employees, women tend to earn comparably less than men and struggle in “culture that is hostile to women”.
Google is facing the consequences of former employee James Damore’s internal memo blaming tech imbalances on biological differences between men and women.
The 10-page document was leaked to the press over the weekend.
‘Google’s Ideological Echo Chamber’ criticizes Google’s “diversity and inclusion” initiatives, such as programs that are aimed specifically at women and under-represented minorities. Damore used the ‘manifesto’ to argue the company is intolerant of conservative political views.
“I’m simply stating that the distribution of preferences and abilities of men and women differ in part due to biological causes and that these differences may explain why we don’t see equal representation of women in tech and leadership.” it said.
James Finberg, the civil rights attorney working on the possible legal action, has said the women he has spoken to have made clear of the pay disparities faced within the company.
“They are concerned that women are channeled to levels and positions that pay less than men with similar education and experience,” he said.
“It’s demoralizing,” a former senior manager told The Guardian. “There’s something subconsciously that happens where you do start to question the value that you’re adding to the company.”
Another woman also said how she regularly dealt with sexist comments.
“I felt like I wasn’t playing the game in the ‘boys club’ environment,” she said. “I was watching male co-workers progress at a faster rate than myself. It was really disturbing,”
A spokesperson for Google has said: “Sixty people is a really small sample size. There are always going to be differences in salary based on location, role and performance, but the process is blind to gender.”