ICT, HR - Google Reportedly Sacks Author Of Horrible Memo

Google has reportedly sacked a software engineer who wrote a lengthy, divisive, and insulting memo that claimed that women had biological issues that prevented them from being as successful as men in tech.

CEO Sundar Pichai wrote a rebuttal memo to employees explaining how the sexist rant would "violate our Code of Conduct and cross the line by advancing harmful gender stereotypes in our workplace": That didn't specifically say the engineer had been fired, but the inference is pretty clear.  "To suggest a group of our colleagues have traits that make them less biologically suited to that work is offensive and not OK," he added.

"The memo has clearly impacted our co-workers, some of whom are hurting and feel judged based on their gender.  Our co-workers shouldn't have to worry that each time they open their mouths to speak in a meeting, they have to prove that they are not like the memo states, being 'agreeable' rather than 'assertive', showing a 'lower stress tolerance', or being 'neurotic'."

The author of the memo has outed himself, and this seems to reek of a staged, right-wing stunt.  James Damore told New York Times reporter Daisuke Wakabayashi he believes Google acted illegally in firing him, and he is considering taking legal action.  "I have a legal right to express my concerns about the terms and conditions of my working environment and to bring up potentially illegal behavior, which is what my document does," Damore told the Times. 

He also said he filed a complaint with the US National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) before he was fired, accusing Google's upper management was "misrepresenting and shaming me in order to silence my complaints".  Damore claimed it is "illegal to retaliate" against a complaint made to the NLRB.

Google's new Vice President of Diversity, Integrity, and Governance Danielle Brown didn't respond publicly to Damore's memo until after it went viral outside the company.  And both Ms. Brown and Mr. Pichai emphasized the right of Google employees to have their own opinions.