1. "Alphabet Inc. settles the cases of sexual misconduct for the amount of $310 million."
"Sexual harassment at the workplace can trigger numerous mental health issues such as depression and post-traumatic stress disorder1. Workplace sexual harassment is barely reported2. Around 5 million (Mn) people in the U.S. experienced workplace sexual harassment yearly, and only 9,200 filed a charge2.
Alphabet Inc. is the parent company of Google which is ranked at 5th position globally, based on a market cap of USD1.4 Tn4.
(...) In January 2019, Alphabet’s (shareholders Teamsters Local 272 Labor Management Pension Fund and Northern California Pipe Trades Pension Plan filed a suit in California’s Santa Clara County Superior Court5,6. The plaintiff stated that Alphabet’s leadership made misguided decisions for the sexual misconduct issues that affected the share price and the company’s image6. It is stated that the company’s “brogrammer” and concealment culture led to the wasteful exit packages payment worth millions to its executives alleged of misconduct5. The suit stated that 48 cases of sexual harassment, including 13 cases against senior managers or executives, had been filed in the previous 2 years5.
In September 2020, Alphabet agreed to commit $310 Mn to diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives as part of a settlement for sexual harassment and misconduct lawsuits filed against the company’s officers and executives5."
Writer: Harsh SHARMA
Company Impact: Alphabet