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‘Welcome to the party’: five past tech whistleblowers on the pitfalls of speaking out

Technology‘Welcome to the party’: five past tech whistleblowers on the pitfalls of speaking outFrances Haugen, the Facebook whistleblower, joined a growing list of Silicon Valley former employees to call out company policies Johana BhuiyanSat 9 Oct 2021 01.00 EDTWhen Frances Haugen revealed she was the Facebook whistleblower who supplied internal documents to Congress and the Wall Street Journal, she joined a growing list of current and former Silicon Valley employees who’ve come forward to call out military contracts, racism, sexism, contributions to climate crisis, pay disparities and more in the industry.California companies can no longer silence workers in victory for tech activistsRead moreIn the past days, the Guardian spoke with five former employees of Amazon, Google, and Pinterest who’ve spoken out about their companies’ policies. The conversations revealed Haugen’s experience has been singular in some respects. Few of them received the international praise bestowed upon her. Some of them said they have faced termination, retaliation, harassment and prolonged litigation.But Haugen is entering a community of whistleblowers that appears tighter than ever, with some working to make it easier for the employees to come forward, through legislation, solidarity funds, and resources.“Welcome to the party, Frances Haugen,” one tweeted.Chelsey GlassonChelsey Glasson left Google in August 2019, alleging pregnancy discrimination and retaliation. She filed a discrimination lawsuit against the company the following year, and her trial is scheduled for 10 January. Years of litigation against a multibillion …

California companies can no longer silence workers in victory for tech activists

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TechnologyCalifornia companies can no longer silence workers in victory for tech activistsSilenced No More Act makes it illegal for firms to prevent employees from speaking out about harassment or discrimination Kari PaulFri 8 Oct 2021 03.00 EDTLast modified on Fri 8 Oct 2021 03.02 EDTIn a major victory for Silicon Valley activists and California workers, the governor has signed a law making it illegal for companies to bar employees from speaking out about harassment and discrimination.The new law is the result of hard-fought advocacy work by those in the tech industry who have long spoken out against the restrictive confidentiality arrangements, known as nondisclosure agreements or NDAs, which are intended to protect industry secrets but which has created a culture of silence around wrongdoing.NDAs often keep incidents of harassment and discrimination under wraps, forcing employees to keep quiet or face legal actions and fines. They became a point of debate after the #MeToo movement, when it was revealed that Harvey Weinstein used such contracts to keep his victims from speaking out.She sued for pregnancy discrimination. Now she’s battling Google’s army of lawyersRead more“This act is a huge step in the right direction in eliminating cultures of secrecy around misogyny and racism in the workplace, especially in California’s tech industry,” said Veena Dubal, an associate professor of law at the University of California, Hastings, and tech worker advocate.The Silenced No More Act was co-sponsored by …

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How can companies cut the UK's class pay gap?

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Social impactGuardian sustainable businessHow can companies cut the UK’s class pay gap?Professionals from poorer families earn almost £7,000 less per year than those from wealthier ones, despite businesses claiming to act on social mobility Martin Williams@

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