Uber had a company meeting to address concerns about sexism and employees say it was "honest, raw, and emotional," with Uber CEO Travis Kalanick taking the issue very seriously.
For those unfamiliar with the matter, Uber recently went under fire over allegations of sexism after a former engineer, Susan Fowler, said she faced harassment and discrimination while working there.
Fowler detailed sexist abuse in the workplace and prompted the Uber CEO to take action against such practices. Kalanick apologized for the mishaps that allowed for such a culture to develop where a former engineer had to face repeated setbacks in her attempt to report sexual harassment. Fowler had argued that Uber repeatedly ignored and bypassed attempted reports of sexual harassment. Kalanick promised an investigation would take place, led by former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder.
Uber Meeting Over Sexism
In a meeting at Uber's headquarters in San Francisco, employees witnessed an emotional and honest discussion over the matter, as Kalanick apologized for the situation and promised to take steps to avoid such issues in the future.
Uber employees said they were impressed by the CEO's response to Fowler's allegations. Shortly after Fowler detailed the sexist Uber work culture in a heartfelt blog post over the weekend, Kalanick said the experience Fowler detailed was "abhorrent" and trumped everything that Uber believes in and stands for. At the meeting, Kalanick continued the conversation and eventually turned it into a Q&A with the company's employees.
Kalanick Invested In Uber Sexism Investigation
According to Uber employees, it's a rare sight to see the CEO so involved and emotional at a meeting with staff members. Bloomberg even notes that Kalanick seemed to be tearing up during the company meeting. After the meeting, employees felt that Kalanick was truly invested in this sexism probe.
As previously mentioned, Kalanick tapped Holder to conduct an independent review of the sexist and abusive practices Fowler reported and the investigation is ongoing. Holder will collaborate with other lawyers, Uber board members and the company's chief of human resources, Liane Hornsey.
Silicon Valley Sexism
For Silicon Valley, matters of sexism and inappropriate work cultures are not all that surprising, but Fowler's explosive outcry drew more attention to such issues and stirred a wide backlash. Fowler's allegations struck a chord not only because it's truly disheartening to have such blatant practices in this day and age, but also because she put real effort into documenting everything and detail her experience in a powerful yet personal manner.
"If the world, and Uber specifically, takes one thing away from this, it should be that this is not an isolated incident," Uber software engineer Aimee Lucido wrote in a personal blog post, referring to Fowler's experience and allegations. "I think this is disgusting and appalling and horrifying and yet I am not surprised at all. In fact, I'm most surprised at how surprised everyone else seems to be."
It remains to be seen how the investigation will progress and what changes Uber will implement to improve its workplace environment and culture, but the matter is on everyone's radar now. From employees, to customers, investors and everything in between, everyone is closely monitoring the investigation.
