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California Investigates Google’s Treatment Of Black Women Employees

Black women are leaving the company at higher rates than other racial-gender groups.

The California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) has launched an investigation after several Black women employees at Alphabet Inc., Google's parent company, after complaints of harassment and discrimination.

According to a report by Reuters, the women requested that their identity be withheld from reports to avoid jeopardizing their professional positions. In a statement to the outlet, Google said that it was focused on “building sustainable equity” for its Black workers and noted that 2020 saw the most significant increase in what they described as “Black +” employees, a classification held for people belonging to one or more races.

"Our goal is to ensure that every employee experiences Google as an inclusive workplace," the statement read. "We’ll continue to focus on this important work and thoroughly investigate any concerns to make sure our workplace is representative and equitable."

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However, according to the report, data showed that staff members who identified as "Black+ female" left the tech giant at a higher rate than any other racial-gender group other than "Native American+ female."

Furthermore, an investigation conducted by NBC News earlier this year revealed that several Black, Latino, and other Google employees of color who reported incidents of bias and discrimination were told to take a medical leave of absence only to be reportedly pushed out of their roles altogether.

The company said it was looking to increase the retention rate of its employees by increasing support staffing and programs.

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