Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+

Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+

DiscriminationRace discriminationSex discrimination

Google faces class action claim over white male discrimination

by Ashleigh Webber 9 Jan 2018
by Ashleigh Webber 9 Jan 2018

Two former Google employees have accused the company of discriminating against white conservative men in a class action claim.

The claim, launched by two software engineers who were dismissed by the company, alleged that Google “singled out, mistreated and systematically punished” employees who deviated from its views on political and diversity matters.

Discrimination resources

Discrimination remedies and penalties

One of the former employees, James Damore, was dismissed from the company in August after he sent an internal memo claiming that “biological differences” meant that more men held leadership roles than women at the business.

Damore and another former engineer David Gudeman filed the claim at the Santa Clara County Superior Court in California. They want to represent other Google employees and former employees who they claimed were “ostracised, belittled and punished” by the company for their political views and for being white males.

They claimed that men were “openly threatened and subjected to harassment and retaliation” and were booed during company meetings.

They also suggested that Google failed to protect workers who supported US president Donald Trump from being harassed.

Damore and Gudeman, who was reportedly dismissed from the firm following a confrontation with a Muslim colleague on an internal forum, alleged that the technology giant “employed illegal hiring quotas” to fill positions with its desired percentages of women and ethnic minority candidates, which they claimed discriminates against white male applicants.

Google said in a statement: “We look forward to defending against Mr Damore’s lawsuit in court”.

Google is also facing a separate claim from at least 60 women who alleged that Google paid them less than their male counterparts, despite having equal qualifications and comparable positions, and “segregated” them into lower-paid jobs. Some suggested they earned around $40,000 (£29,564) less than their male colleagues.

In April 2017, the US Department of Labor found that Google had discriminated against women in the most common positions at its headquarters, which was denied by the technology firm.

Sign up to our weekly round-up of HR news and guidance

Receive the Personnel Today Direct e-newsletter every Wednesday

OptOut
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Google is also facing allegations that it discriminated against women who taught its employees’ children at the company’s preschool. Former teacher Heidi Lamar last week filed a complaint that male teachers were granted higher starting salaries than females in the same position, despite some of the men having fewer qualifications.

“I didn’t want to work for a company that I can’t trust, that makes me feel like my values of gender equality are being compromised,” Lamar told The Guardian.

Ashleigh Webber

Ashleigh is a former editor of OHW+ and former HR and wellbeing editor at Personnel Today. Ashleigh's areas of interest include employee health and wellbeing, equality and inclusion and skills development. She has hosted many webinars for Personnel Today, on topics including employee retention, financial wellbeing and menopause support.

previous post
BBC China editor departure prompts call for equal pay analysis
next post
Hospital bans sugary food and drinks to reduce staff obesity

You may also like

Racism claims have tripled and ‘Equality Act is...

12 Jun 2025

Court rejects Liberty’s legal challenge against EHRC consultation

9 Jun 2025

US Supreme Court lowers burden of proof for...

6 Jun 2025

NDA ban vital to tackling misogyny in music...

4 Jun 2025

Liberty to challenge EHRC consultation in High Court

3 Jun 2025

Missing mug leads to failed race discrimination claim

29 May 2025

Call-handler sues Met Police over reinstatement of offensive...

28 May 2025

Sighing in frustration at colleague was discriminatory, judge...

23 May 2025

Consultation launched after Supreme Court ‘sex’ ruling

20 May 2025

Black security manager awarded £360k after decade of...

20 May 2025

  • Preparing for a new era of workforce planning (webinar) WEBINAR | Employers now face...Read more
  • 2025 Employee Communications Report PROMOTED | HR and leadership...Read more
  • Prioritising performance management: Strategies for success (webinar) WEBINAR | In today’s fast-paced...Read more
  • Retaining Female Talent: Four Ways to Reduce Workplace Drop Out PROMOTED | International Women’s Day...Read more

Personnel Today Jobs
 

Search Jobs

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
OHW+
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2025

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2025 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+