Google CEO, Sundar Pichai, issued a statement in the wake of the firing of a Google employee who dared share his divergent views about gender and biology in an internal communication.
This has been a very difficult time. I wanted to provide an update on the memo that was circulated over this past week.First, let me say that we strongly support the right of Googlers to express themselves, and much of what was in that memo is fair to debate, regardless of whether a vast majority of Googlers disagree with it. However, portions of the memo violate our Code of Conduct and cross the line by advancing harmful gender stereotypes in our workplace. Our job is to build great products for users that make a difference in their lives. To suggest a group of our colleagues have traits that make them less biologically suited to that work is offensive and not OK. It is contrary to our basic values and our Code of Conduct, which expects “each Googler to do their utmost to create a workplace culture that is free of harassment, intimidation, bias and unlawful discrimination.”The memo has clearly impacted our co-workers, some of whom are hurting and feel judged based on their gender. Our co-workers shouldn’t have to worry that each time they open their mouths to speak in a meeting, they have to prove that they are not like the memo states, being “agreeable” rather than “assertive,” showing a “lower stress tolerance,” or being “neurotic.”At the same time, there are co-workers who are questioning whether they can safely express their views in the workplace (especially those with a minority viewpoint). They too feel under threat, and that is also not OK. People must feel free to express dissent. So to be clear again, many points raised in the memo—such as the portions criticizing Google’s trainings, questioning the role of ideology in the workplace, and debating whether programs for women and underserved groups are sufficiently open to all—are important topics. The author had a right to express their views on those topics—we encourage an environment in which people can do this and it remains our policy to not take action against anyone for prompting these discussions.
In other words: how dare a non-leftist male offer an opinion of his own? Google, it turns out, cannot tolerate random people expressing such thoughts . . . . because it’s bound to upset women.
In this, Google insults women far more than anything in the now-fired employee’s missive ever could.
What women like me hear from Google:
Women are such precious, emotional, delicate creatures, damsels in distress really, that we wilt and swoon in the face of any commentary that suggests we are not capable in the tech world.
The big, benevolent Google has cast itself as our hero, defending inherently weak women and firing some man no one has ever heard of because he expressed . . . thoughts!
Google’s inherent and casual sexism is repellent. But you know what? I don’t feel in the least faint or on the verge of a swoon. Heck, I may even make it through the day without getting the vapors.
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