Google sack 48 workers for sexual harassment in past 2yrs Firm takes ‘hard line’ on claims

GOOGLE has sacked 48 people over sexual harassment claims in the past two years, its chief executives have revealed.

An email sent to employees from bosses Sundar Pichai and Eileen Naughton said 13 senior employees were among those dismissed.

It is not known if any of those axed were based in Ireland which is Google’s European headquarters.

The technology giant said it took an “increasingly hard line” on misconduct by senior managers and offered staff avenues to report harassment anonymously.

Mr Pichai revealed the figures in response to a New York Times report, which suggested Android mobile software creator Andy Rubin was given a €79million exit package despite facing misconduct allegations.

A spokesman for Mr Rubin told the newspaper he denied wrongdoing and he had not been made aware of the claims when he left in 2014.

Sam Singer rejected the allegations in a statement, saying Mr Rubin left Google of his own accord to launch venture capital firm Playground.

He also went on to found smartphone company Essential.

The Google memo said: “We are dead serious about making sure we provide a safe and inclusive workplace. We want to assure you we review every single complaint about sexual harassment or inappropriate conduct, we investigate and we take action.

“In recent years, we’ve made a number of changes including taking an increasingly hard line on inappropriate conduct by people in positions of authority.

“In the last two years, 48 people have been terminated for sexual harassment, including 13 who were senior managers and above. None of these individuals received an exit package.”

The New York Times cited court documents while reporting Mr Rubin was one of three executives that Google has shielded in the past decade after complaints were made of sexual misconduct.

The newspaper cited two unnamed bosses as saying then-chief executive Larry Page asked for Mr Rubin’s resignation after the firm confirmed there had been a complaint by a woman about a sexual encounter in a hotel in 2013.

The email also said Google had enforced a policy requiring senior managers to disclose any relationships with co-workers.

Exit package given to Andy Rubin after facing misconduct allegations