EEOC to hold rare talk on tech bias

‘Unprecedented’ hearing will address Silicon Valley diversity

The federal gov-SAN FRANCIS CO ernment’s anti-discrimination watchdog is scrutinizing the employment practices of the mostly white and Asian male technology industry.

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission on Wednesday plans to hold a rare public hearing that puts the national spotlight on a hot-button issue roiling Silicon Valley: the chronic underrepresentation of women, minorities and older workers, particularly in technical roles.

“This commission meeting focused on a particular industry in the private sector is unprecedented,” said employment attorney Barry Hartstein, co-chairman of Littler’s EEO and diversity practice.

The hearing will examine “innovative practices” to address the lack of diversity in the fast-growing sector, and agency staffers will present the findings of a report they prepared on the lopsided demographics of the tech industry.

“It is unclear what the outcome will be based on this session, but it is a clear signal that greater attention by that agency will be placed on employers in the technology industry,” Hartstein said.

The EEOC, which is charged with fighting systemic workplace discrimination, is jumping into the fray amid growing pressure from civil rights activists who have for years prodded the tech industry to hire more women and minorities and foster more inclusive corporate cultures.

The industry used to shrink from any talk of diversity, keeping critics at bay and workforce demographics under lock and key until 2014, when Google publicly addressed the gender and racial imbalance in its workforce and the tech industry at large for the first time.

At Google, seven out of 10 employees are men. Most employees are white (60%) and Asian (31%). Latinos make up 3% of the work force, African Americans 2% — laying bare statistics common to major tech companies that the industry admits are too low.