Google employees plan sit-in to protest alleged retaliation

by Emily Birnbaum - 04/30/19 5:11 PM ET

Google employees are planning a Wednesday morning sit-in to protest alleged instances of retaliation against workers who have spoken up critically about the company.

The sit-in comes six months after more than 20,000 Google workers participated in walkouts at offices around the world, organized to protest the company’s handling of sexual harassment as well as general working conditions.

{mosads}”Six months ago, we walked out,” reads a flyer posted by the Twitter account Google Walkout for Real Change on Tuesday afternoon. “This time, we’re sitting in.”

The sit-in is planned for 11 a.m. local time. Google is headquartered in Mountain View, Calif.

From being told to go on sick leave when you’re not sick, to having your reports taken away, we’re sick of retaliation.
Six months ago, we walked out. This time, we’re sitting in. 11am tomorrow. #NotOkGoogle #GoogleWalkout pic.twitter.com/GCq0x1O8cZ

— Google Walkout For Real Change (@GoogleWalkout) April 30, 2019

Organizers of last year’s Google walkout have come out in recent weeks with allegations that they have been targets of retribution by the tech giant.

Meredith Whittaker, the founder of Google’s Open Research Group, and Claire Stapleton, who currently works for Google-owned YouTube, wrote in an internal message that they have both faced retaliation for organizing Google employees, according to a report from Wired.

Their claims sparked a windfall of retribution claims from Google workers. “Google Walkout for Real Change,” the group of activist Google workers, posted a compilation of those claims on Medium on Monday.

The stories include an allegation that Google’s human resources department threatened the immigration status of an employee alleging unethical activity at the company. Another anonymous worker is claiming that they were passed over for promotions due to bias, and then faced retribution when they reported that discrimination to a manger.

“I was told that I was being an ’emotional woman,'” the anonymous author wrote.

Google in a statement said it does not condone retaliation in the workplace.

“To make sure that no complaint raised goes unheard at Google, we give employees multiple channels to report concerns, including anonymously, and investigate all allegations of retaliation,” a spokesperson said.

The Google Walkout for Real Change account has been retweeting messages of solidarity and personal anecdotes from Google employees.

“From being told to go on sick leave when you’re not sick, to having your reports taken away, we’re sick of retaliation,” the group said in a statement on Twitter.