Uber is in the spotlight again and not for a good reason. Former site reliability engineer Susan J. Fowler wrote a blog post detailing the “strange, fascinating, and slightly horrifying” year she had at Uber.
The essay alleged many sexual harassment as well as legal misconduct against her and other female employees. She also wrote about sexism, lies and cover-ups of managerial staff as they were “high performers”.
This has prompted Uber CEO Travis Kalanick to launch and “urgent investigation” into the claims.
1/ What's described here is abhorrent & against everything we believe in. Anyone who behaves this way or thinks this is OK will be fired. https://t.co/6q29N7AL6E
— travis kalanick (@travisk) February 20, 2017
2/ I've instructed our CHRO Liane to conduct an urgent investigation. There can be absolutely no place for this kind of behavior at Uber.
— travis kalanick (@travisk) February 20, 2017
The engineer who left Uber in December to join Stripe in the beginning of the year, wrote that it started with sexual advances at the beginning of her employment.
Arianna Huffington, who joined Uber’s board last year, said in a tweet that she would work with Hornsey in the investigation.
Just talked w/ Travis & as a representative of Uber's Board I will work w/Liane to conduct a full independent investigation starting now 1/2
— Arianna Huffington (@ariannahuff) February 20, 2017
Uber was already facing much backlash against Kalanick’s participation (leading to subsequent departure) in President Trump’s business advisory group, as well as the subsequent tweets calling for #DeleteUber due to a tweet interpreted as Uber taking advantage of the immigration ban late last month. With renewed claims of sexual harassment, Uber is definitely not having a good year so far.
