Thousands of Google employees staged walkouts across the globe to protest the company’s mishandling of sexual misconduct on Thursday.
Beginning in Tokyo, participants began leaving their offices at 11:10 a.m. local time following a report from the New York Times published last week. In the story, the Times revealed the company gave a $90 million severance package to Android software developer Andy Rubin after he was accused of sexual misconduct. Google paid out multi-millions to other male executives facing allegations of misconduct as well.
According to CNN, over 1,000 people walked out of the Google headquarters in Mountain View, California and in San Francisco. All around the country, Google employees carried signs that read “Happy to quit for $90 million. No sexual harassment required.”
In New York City, employees also stormed out of the company's Chelsea offices carrying signs and chanting "Time's Up."
Some employees protested outside Google's Austin, Texas-based office as well.
A huge crowd walked out of the Google office based in Dublin, Ireland, with others in Zurich, Switzerland and London followed suit.
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Protests also unfolded in Google's Tokyo and Singapore offices, and about 150 employees walked out in India.
Along with the walkouts, Google employees shared a list of six demands, which their organizers expanded on in The Cut, including “an end to forced arbitration in cases of harassment and discrimination for all current and future employees,” and “a commitment to end pay and opportunity inequality.” The movement is also calling for “the elevation of the chief diversity officer to answer directly to the CEO and make recommendations directly to the board of directors,” and “the appointment of an employee representative to the board.”
Google CEO Sundar Pichai shared a message with employees in support of the walkouts, but it’s unclear at this point what concrete steps Google plans to take and what demands will be met to protect employees from future abuse.
