Google employees will no longer require private arbitration of sexual harassment claims under new policies established following a global protest over its handling of sex-related claims against a top executive.
The Mountain View, Calif.-based company on Thursday also pledged to be more transparent in its investigations of such claims, and Chief Executive Officer Sundar Pichai wrote in a blog post that it would tie attendance at sexual harassment training to performance reviews.
“Going forward, we will provide more transparency on how we handle concerns,” he wrote. “We’ll give better support and care to the people who raise them. And we will double down on our commitment to be a representative, equitable, and respectful workplace.”
The announcement follows comments from Pichai last week that Google “didn’t live up to our expectations” when it gave Android co-founder Andy Rubin a $90 million severance package after terminating him amid allegations of sexual misconduct. Rubin has denied the claims.
