Uber Technologies Inc. has contracted the services of the law firm Perkins Coie to carry out an internal investigation after the denunciation made in February of 2017 by Susan Fowler, former engineer of the company. In a post on her personal blog, she reported being sexually harassed by her supervisor. Result: The discovery of 215 harassment complaints and other claims (the implementation of an extra bonus paid to workers who have had a strong performance and more aggressive growth, failure to comply with reprehensible behavior, etc.). According to Bobbie Wilson, a partner in the law firm, among the alleged perpetrators of sexual harassment at work were senior executives, some of whom have retaliated against the accusing employees. The allegation of espionage made by Google Alphabet for allegedly stealing the technology of its self-driven Waymo cars, several complaints, boycott threats, and a federal investigation into the use of a false version of its application to deceive the authorities, are part of a serial of controversies that in recent months have put the “Taxi-app” in the eye of the hurricane. That is why Uber announced on Tuesday, two measures to repair its corporate image: the dismissal of 20 employees accused of harassment and the hiring of Bozoma Saint John, former global marketing director for Apple Music and iTunes. However, it is expected that other measures will be taken next week after the report is prepared by Eric H. Holder Jr., former Attorney General of the government of President Obama, who has been hired by Uber, to carry out a parallel investigation.
ROCIO DURAN
BBC UK, Wednesday June 07 2017; NEW YORK TIMES, Tuesday June 06 2017 (contrast of sources) »