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More Than 20 Employees Fired at Uber in Sexual Harassment Investigation (cnbc.com)

More than 20 employees have been fired from Uber as part of an ongoing sexual harassment investigation, according to Bloomberg. From a report: In an explosive blog post earlier this year, former Uber engineer Susan Fowler alleged the company failed to act on sexual harassment and gender discrimination complaints. CEO Travis Kalanick called for an urgent investigation into the claims, led by former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder. That investigation, with Holder at the helm, has given its own recommendations to Uber's board, according to Bloomberg. But Uber's 12,000 employees have been given an assessment of a separate investigation, led by an attorney in at Perkins Coie LLP, according to Bloomberg, who cite an anonymous source. Perkins Coie examined 215 claims, Bloomberg said.

72 comments

  1. hope the CEO is one of them by phantomfive · · Score: 2
    --
    "First they came for the slanderers and i said nothing."
  2. Re:Uber by MightyMartian · · Score: 1

    And apparently for men with poor impulse control.

    --
    The world's burning. Moped Jesus spotted on I50. Details at 11.
  3. Hipster by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    How come they all wear the same uniform of a muslim-style beard and Shawshank Redemption warden-style glassess?

    They all look exactly alike but they don't like "mainstream" people.

    Irony deficiency for sure.

    1. Re:Hipster by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Those glasses remind me more of East Germany than hipster,

      Shawshank Warden

      East German Dictator

    2. Re:Hipster by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Why dont ppl just get contacts? I dont get it..

    3. Re:Hipster by fluffernutter · · Score: 1

      Contacts suck for a lot of people. Always feels like there is something in your eye, always need to be replaced They need to be put in every day and sometimes it goes smoothly and sometimes it doesn't so they can mess up your morning. If you have a astigmatism they are even worse, if they are available for your shape of eyeball at all. For me glasses were a lot easier so I went back.

      --
      Laws are rules for the court, but merely a bottom bar to hit for life. Think beyond laws in your actions always.
    4. Re:Hipster by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I have astigmatism and I wear contacts. That's totally a thing now. If you feel the lens in your eye or it's irritating in some other way you should try a different lens.

      Contacts do a *better* job of correcting vision than glasses for most people, unless you're one of those guys that needs to wear Hubble telescope type glasses.

      Contacts aren't any more of a hassle than brushing your teeth is (ie. - you do it daily and don't give it much thought). I put them in during the morning and take them off before bed.

      If I had glasses, I would need to carry a backpack because I already have a wallet, keys and a cell phone. Where the hell would I put my eyeglass case?? I'm out of room!

    5. Re:Hipster by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Some people think those thick black plastic glasses are a fashion statement. Like '90-era Weezer or something.

      I'll stick with contacts, thank you.

    6. Re:Hipster by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Why would you need an eyeglass case, but you don't need a contacts case? Wouldn't you wear glasses at exactly the same times and places as contacts?

    7. Re:Hipster by DickBreath · · Score: 1

      Do what I do. Get prescription glasses. Then don't wear them.

      --

      I'll see your senator, and I'll raise you two judges.
    8. Re:Hipster by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Jews

    9. Re:Hipster by fluffernutter · · Score: 1

      I'm about 70/30 myself. I can drive without them, fortunately.

      --
      Laws are rules for the court, but merely a bottom bar to hit for life. Think beyond laws in your actions always.
    10. Re:Hipster by JohnFen · · Score: 1

      Many people, like myself, cannot tolerate contacts.

  4. Rare hatred for a company by Drewdad · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Rarely have I hated a company as much as I hate Uber....

    Ignoring and violating local regulations
    Violating labor laws
    "Greyball" tracking
    Interference in local politics
    Toxic culture

    What did I miss?

    1. Re: Rare hatred for a company by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      look in your iPhone under "Location Services" and you will see that the only options Uber has are Always and Never. "While using the App" is notably missing. That was like reason #326 for me to delete their App. (fwiw, Lyft has all 3)

    2. Re:Rare hatred for a company by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      What did I miss?

      The scumbag CEO is a Trump supporter.

    3. Re:Rare hatred for a company by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      The brainwashing required to accept all of these things as facts without evidence?

    4. Re:Rare hatred for a company by thaylin · · Score: 1

      There is plenty of evidence of all of them.

      --
      When you cant win, ad hominem.
    5. Re:Rare hatred for a company by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      SJWs find evidence of rape everywhere. It's called ideological lensing.

    6. Re:Rare hatred for a company by thaylin · · Score: 1

      hmm rape wasnt even in the list there, projecting much?

      --
      When you cant win, ad hominem.
    7. Re:Rare hatred for a company by SirGarlon · · Score: 1

      What did I miss?

      Alleged racial discrimination against customers, though to be fair, traditional taxi services have the same problem.

      --
      [Sir Garlon] is the marvellest knight that is now living, for he destroyeth many good knights, for he goeth invisible.
    8. Re:Rare hatred for a company by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That's true. Tell the proponents that. Be prepared to be labeled a bigot. Many of these 'controversies' are manufactured garbage.

    9. Re:Rare hatred for a company by DickBreath · · Score: 1

      > Rarely have I hated a company as much as I hate Uber....

      Uh, SCO ?

      --

      I'll see your senator, and I'll raise you two judges.
    10. Re:Rare hatred for a company by DickBreath · · Score: 1

      That is not an item to add to the list. That is the underlying reason behind all the other items on the list.

      A circus is best if it has three rings:
      1. Executive
      2. Legislative
      3. Juducial

      --

      I'll see your senator, and I'll raise you two judges.
    11. Re:Rare hatred for a company by Aighearach · · Score: 1

      In many cases that is one of the things that taxi companies have to promise in order to hold a "medallion" (license); that they will serve all the neighborhoods that it covers.

    12. Re:Rare hatred for a company by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Found the libtwat. Honestly, I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if this witchhunt consisting of random names pulled out of a hat that existed solely to appease the douchy liberal media.

  5. So about 10% validated by HornWumpus · · Score: 0

    That's about right in my experience. 90% whiners, 10% actual issues.

    They should have disciplined the whiners too.

    --
    John McAfee 'It was like that time I hired that Bangkok prostitute; to do my taxes, while I fucked my accountant'
    1. Re:So about 10% validated by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You assuming every one of the 215 claims was about a different person.

    2. Re:So about 10% validated by PolygamousRanchKid+ · · Score: 0

      They should have disciplined the whiners too.

      . . . and here I thought that they handled of the complaints of sexual harassment by firing the 20 folks who filed complaints.

      . . . does TFA make it clear that those fired were accused, and not accusers? I RTFA, and it didn't seem "perfectly clear" (in the Nixon sense of the phrase), that is what happened.

      --
      Schroedinger's Brexit: The UK is both in and out of the EU at the same time!
    3. Re:So about 10% validated by avandesande · · Score: 1

      Lots of people don't want to ruin their career by suing their employer. Maybe you number is inverted?

      --
      love is just extroverted narcissism
    4. Re:So about 10% validated by interkin3tic · · Score: 1

      I think it's wildly naive to suspect the people fired weren't mainly "whiners" rather than the source of the problem.

      There may have been one or two dudes fired who did harass. Fired of course for not realizing they weren't high up enough to get away with it like their bosses.

  6. Official press release from Kalanick by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    We at Uber have all been very disturbed by these allegations that our corporate culture has created an environment in which women feel unsafe and harassed. After a very thorough investigation, and in order to make sure situations like this never happen again, we have taken the step to fire all those involved in reporting this harassment. We want our employees to feel safe knowing we have a zero tolerance policy regarding reports of sexual harassment.

    1. Re:Official press release from Kalanick by rogoshen1 · · Score: 1

      sadly underrated, and I'm lacking mod points -- boo =/

    2. Re:Official press release from Kalanick by DickBreath · · Score: 1

      Protip: if you don't want your employees to feel unsafe and harassed, then get them good drugs.

      --

      I'll see your senator, and I'll raise you two judges.
  7. Blame upper management. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Management sets the pace. I'be worked for great management teams that allow room for a bit of fun but aren't afraid to fire shovenist jerks, and I've worked for managers who were shovenist jerks. The team behavior was makibly different on these teams because of the expectation. I'm a guy so I can't speak to how it looked or felt to the women in both situations but I can imagine which one they liked better.

    Fire the leadership and hire respectful professionals.

    1. Re:Blame upper management. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Respectful professionals know the difference between "chauvinist" and "shovenist".

    2. Re:Blame upper management. by computational+super · · Score: 1

      Maybe she meant they shove people around?

      --
      Proud neuron in the Slashdot hivemind since 2002.
    3. Re:Blame upper management. by HornWumpus · · Score: 1

      Can't I be both?

      I sure want to shove my junk up that hot little new girl's beav.

      --
      John McAfee 'It was like that time I hired that Bangkok prostitute; to do my taxes, while I fucked my accountant'
  8. Why do you say 10%? by Daetrin · · Score: 1

    How did you arrive at those numbers? Was it just based on the statements of "more than 20 employees" and "examined 215 claims"?

    If that is the case why are you assuming that the 215 claims were against 215 different employees?

    The article doesn't seem to say, and i certainly don't know it for a fact myself, but i would suspect that many of the people who committed harassment serious enough to get fired probably harassed more than one person, and thus were the focus of more than one claim.

    --
    This Space Intentionally Left Blank
  9. Holder is Investigating? Lord help us! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    How does having a partisan hack former AG help your image? Did Holder actually bring some kind of investigative experience to this?

    I mean he couldn't see his way clear to investigate a bunch of things he should have while he held office.

    1. Re: Holder is Investigating? Lord help us! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You will respect the UberGropingFuhrer.

  10. I love Uber (not a troll) by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    I'm not trolling, and I'm not disregarding the important issue of sexual harassment (which is horrible) and the behavior of Uber's CEO.

    However, the almost universal disparaging of Uber here (and elsewhere) when they are mentioned -- even in this case, when Uber took some proactive measure to reduce a problem prevalent in many Silicon Valley ventures -- compels me to state the obvious: that Uber has saved thousands of lives (from reducing drunk driving), and has saved countless hours (from transportation inefficiencies in various circumstances).

    There were many times when Uber has been a miracle.

    Again, I hope this comment is not interpreted as apologizing for the several significant flaws within the company. I am glad there is significant pressure on the company to become a more ethical enterprise. However, I hope the public focuses on trying to reform and improve the company, instead of destroying it.

    1. Re:I love Uber (not a troll) by bluefoxlucid · · Score: 1

      The politics are amazing.

      A lot of people hate on Uber here, largely because Uber is a different form of organization due to being a different form of service provider and people can't differentiate. Uber allows you to essentially operate as an independent taxi (if that), supplying the value-add of connecting the customer to the service provider, as well as providing additional insurance while you operate, so long as you follow their ToS; people identify Uber as an employer and a taxi service, rather than an intermediary service provider like Expedia, Hotels.com, or AirBNB. To me, that's almost like accusing the Yellow Pages of being a taxi company because they list independent taxi services (Uber is the next evolution of that, except drivers aren't sanctioned taxis).

      So that whole thing is silly and Uber is fine. Uber provides a great service, provides insurance, adds traceability and accountability, and generally increases the safety and decreases the cost of hailing a ride while giving people the option to easily get in and get out of the whole service business.

      If Uber has workplace problems like sexual harassment, that's a problem. A serious problem. Uber's interaction with its clients on both ends may be great, and it may operate as a valuable business; and if its internals are a counterbalance, its internals need fixing. You don't get to murder people now and then because you're a firefighter and you put yourself in danger every day saving lives; nobody's keeping a running tally.

      At the same time, we have Eric Holder.

      Fuck.

      Is this Eric Holder being Eric Holder, or is this a legitimate investigation with a real cause for concern? Because I could see Uber having serious internal problems, and I could see Holder being a serious political dicktard out to ruin innocent lives for his own political agenda. Both are possible, and, as above, nobody's keeping score; the facts of this case aren't the facts of every previous case.

    2. Re:I love Uber (not a troll) by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      even in this case, when Uber took some proactive measure to reduce a problem prevalent in many Silicon Valley ventures

      And why do you think this was proactive in any way?
      Susan Rigetti was a whistle-blower about Uber management ignoring multiple complaints from her and other female workers of sexual harassment and sexism by their managers back in February. Management had to do something to make it look like they were taking this seriously.

      Uber has saved thousands of lives (from reducing drunk driving),

      Glad to know they always give free rides to drunk people

      and has saved countless hours (from transportation inefficiencies in various circumstances).

      [citation needed]

      There were many times when Uber has been a miracle.

      Hallelujah! We're saved! Uber is here to solve all ills!

    3. Re:I love Uber (not a troll) by JohnFen · · Score: 1

      A lot of people hate on Uber here, largely because Uber is a different form of organization due to being a different form of service provider

      If it were that simple, then why isn't there a similar level of hatred toward the likes of Lyft?

      Based on what I've read here, the hatred toward Uber is primarily rooted in the fact that the company behaves terribly.

    4. Re:I love Uber (not a troll) by bluefoxlucid · · Score: 1

      Nobody gives a shit about Lyft. How often do you hear about some county trying to sue Lyft for something about taxi laws or whatever? How often do you see anything about Lyft employees being contractor or employees depending on who's making the argument? They're basically the same kind of service, and yet Uber gets all the negative press.

      It's not because Uber did something; it's because nobody gives a shit about Lyft. You call the Uber while Googling for a good mechanic when your car breaks down--even if you use Lyft to call the Uber and Google using Bing. Uber gets criticized for Uber behaving terribly when Uber actually behaves terribly--which has been frequent--and it gets criticized for being what Uber is a hell of a lot, too.

    5. Re:I love Uber (not a troll) by david_thornley · · Score: 1

      Uber may well provide valuable services, but it doesn't excuse what else the company does. If I were to produce numerous masterpieces of art, and only murdered a few people here and there, I'd be in prison for a long time.

      --
      "When you have eliminated the unacceptable, whatever is left, however improbable, must be the truthiness" - Holmes
  11. Re:Uber by interkin3tic · · Score: 1

    Who are likely still working there for the moment, having used this as an excuse to purge the undesirables.

  12. whoa let me get this straight by Hentai007 · · Score: 1

    In a company full of dudebros there was a problem with how they treated women? nooooooooo, do tell!

    1. Re: whoa let me get this straight by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You know dudebros don't actually exist - right, broham?

  13. Still f**king over the drivers by LaughingRadish · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Now maybe they can get to the business of stopping the abuses of the drivers? (playing games with payments, hiding exactly how much they take out of the fare, telling passengers one price and telling the drivers something else, driving fares down for no good reason, etc, etc)

    1. Re:Still f**king over the drivers by cmseagle · · Score: 1

      driving fares down for no good reason

      Isn't the reason pretty clear? Cheaper rides lead to greater marketshare and mindshare which they'll eventually start monetizing with self-driving cars or higher fares (or so goes the business plan).

    2. Re:Still f**king over the drivers by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      So my brother was going to drive for Uber and asked me to look over all the terms (IANAL, but I am the most thorough and paranoid person he knows who would do it for free). Pretty much everything I have heard/read drivers complain about was in the driver terms or at least had wording that should throw up a red flag. I realize Uber drivers probably aren't rich or they wouldn't be Uber drivers, but some of the blame for not reading and understanding and getting legal review of the agreements they sign does fall on the drivers.

  14. Or just hyper sensitive. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Years ago I worked with some poor bastard who got blamed for harassment. The woman had a real chip on her shoulder because she called in on a Saturday to fix her code.

    And her complaint involved something so innocuous that the guy said that even the women in the human resources department thought it was stupid.

    BUT - HE has to take sensitivity training classes during work hours and stay late and come in on every weekend to get his stuff done.

    Her? She ended up quitting anyway for some reason.

    And there's more. This was my second time witnessing these types of things so I became Mr. Professional on my next job. (There was a massive layoff at the previous one.) I talked nothing but work on the job and I never went out with the gang for happy hour or any other after work things. And I didn't gossip or anything - someone quits and asked about it, "I don't know was always my answer (I got burned on that one too). You never know who is hypersensitive or who they'll tell what you said.

    During my review, I was told to "relax" and "have fun". "We're a family after all!"

    "Family? Really? So I can quit and I'd be welcome back at anytime?" Using the word 'quit' wasn't a good idea and my "family" let my ass go and I'm not welcome anymore.

    STFU, do your job and remember, when it really comes down to it, work friends are never your friends or family.

    1. Re:Or just hyper sensitive. by bluefoxlucid · · Score: 1

      "Family? Really? So I can quit and I'd be welcome back at anytime?" Using the word 'quit' wasn't a good idea and my "family" let my ass go and I'm not welcome anymore.

      Well, you know, your douchebag brother isn't allowed at family gatherings anymore for being a huge douchebag. Same deal.

  15. Re:Uber by DickBreath · · Score: 1

    Uh, the men with poor impulse control are the ones still working. Fully capable of meeting their harassment quotas. It is the men with good impulse control and politeness who are unable to meet their quotas.

    Will deep learnin' algorithms work even if ya' ain't got much data?

    --

    I'll see your senator, and I'll raise you two judges.
  16. Were any of them in management? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Or was is twenty recently hired worker bees?

  17. Why are people fired as part of an investigation? by tietokone-olmi · · Score: 1

    Shouldn't they wait until results happen, accusers are met, and so forth? Or do they not want to even make up a kangaroo court?

  18. Oh, the Ellen Pao firm. by sethstorm · · Score: 1

    attorney in at Perkins Coie LLP

    IIRC, that's the same firm connected to former Reddit CEO Ellen Pao.

    --
    Twitter supports and protects racists - by smearing their critics with the "Hate Speech" label.
  19. DONT HIRE SJWs by sproketboy · · Score: 1

    ntr

    1. Re: DONT HIRE SJWs by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      And if you already have some SJW working at your company, purge them forthwith. Sexual harassment witch hunts are great for this, since they criminalize normal behavior and EVERYONE is guilty.

  20. I want names! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Waiting for the leak...

  21. Re:Uber by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Just yesterday, 5 killed in a workplace shooting by a disgruntled ex-employee fire last month.

    I wonder if Uber will experience something similar or worse. I mean, Uber let go 20+ and the other company just let go one person, so the probability should be higher.

  22. this week's witch hunt by Reverend+Green · · Score: 1

    Yee-haw, Uber's having themselves a good old fashioned witch hunt! The big money femini$ts are going to make damn sure the work environment there is VERY hostile for straight men. Remember, next time your commute is delayed by yet another suicide on the Caltrain tracks - thank feminism!

    Whatcha wanna bet that 100% of the witches found & fired, for the horrible crime of acting like healthy human beings, were working class "nice guy" engineersâ and paper pushers? And 0% were gropey douchebag management types who went to the right schools and go to the right cocktail parties in Palo Alto.

  23. Re: Why are people fired as part of an investigati by Reverend+Green · · Score: 1

    Workers have no rights. Accusation is guilt.

  24. Re:Why are people fired as part of an investigatio by Tranzistors · · Score: 1

    Or do they not want to even make up a kangaroo court?

    Since the employees were not hanged, drawn and quartered, just fired, “kangaroo court” is not hardly applicable. From what I have heard, in USA firing doesn't need a reason. If during the investigation they found things that would normally warrant dismissal of employee without “a court”, then why shouldn't they do that in this case?

    However, if the Uber publishes the list of employees they fired exactly because of harassment claims, then those employees could have a case of slander.

  25. Re: Uber by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Yeah, cause the other company was the only one to fire someone in the past 10 years

  26. It's a start by JohnFen · · Score: 1

    It's a start. Let's hope the firings continue until the entire horrible company goes out of business.

  27. Re:Why are people fired as part of an investigatio by tietokone-olmi · · Score: 1

    So you know the standards of process I'm talking about. Good. I disagree with your disagreement of my use of terminology, and double down on my previous.

    It's my opinion that people shouldn't be fired on the basis of complaint alone, because this amplifies the damage that a serial false accuser would do -- both to the company and the employee. In practice investigations happen to the standard of covering the company's ass in court, from both the accuser's and the accusee's directions. This, while shooting quite low, means at the minimum that "guilt upon accusation" would land the employee in court; and it's well that it should, since there are e.g. ways by which an employee can be given a small bonus in return for having someone fired using such an accusation.

    But, like, maybe all pregnant women are actually serial workplace rapists in the US. I wouldn't know, and couldn't tell.