Google workers walk out over treatment of women

Hundreds of Google engineers and other workers around the world have walked off the job to protest over the internet company’s lenient treatment of executives accused of sexual misconduct.

It is the latest expression of a backlash against men’s exploitation of female subordinates in a business, entertainment and politics.

In Silicon Valley, women also are becoming fed up with the maledominated composition of the technology industry’s workforce – a glaring imbalance that critics say fosters unsavoury behaviour.

Employees were seen staging walkouts at offices from Tokyo and Singapore to London and Dublin.

The Google protest, billed “Walkout For Real Change”, comes after a New York Times story detailed allegations of sexual misconduct about creator of its Android software, Andy Rubin.

The report said Mr Rubin received a $90 million severance package in 2014 even though Google found the sexual misconduct allegations against him were credible.

Mr Rubin derided the story as inaccurate and denied the allegations on Twitter. The story also disclosed allegations of sexual misconduct of other executives.

Google CEO Sundar Pichai apologised for the company’s “past actions” in an email sent to employees on Tuesday.