After a controversial memo by a Google engineer about diversity programs at the company and gender differences went viral over the weekend, sparking an explosive reaction on social media, the search giant did not dispute media reports late Monday that the employee had been fired.
The memo - in which the author suggested, among other things, that biological factors were part of the cause for the gender gap in the tech industry and that Google should "stop alienating conservatives" - prompted a fiery outcry on social media in recent days. Critics pounced on statements about biological differences such as women, on average, having "lower stress tolerance" or how Google needs to "de-emphasize empathy." Others, including fellow Googlers, according to the author, defended his remarks, leaving Google's human resources shop between a rock and a hard place regarding how to respond.
Yet on Monday, following an email from Google chief executive Sundar Pichai that "portions of the memo violate our Code of Conduct and cross the line by advancing harmful gender stereotypes in our workplace," Bloomberg News reported that the employee had been terminated. A spokesman said the company does not comment on individual employees but did not dispute that the memo's author was fired.
Earlier Monday, human resources experts said the situation was a volatile one that risked angering people on both sides. "I'm glad when I woke up this morning I wasn't the head of HR at Google," said Brian Kropp, who leads the human resources consulting practice at CEB.
