Microsoft hires law firm to address Gates probe and review sexual harassment policies
This review has been in the making since last year.
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What you need to know
In November 2021,shareholders voted in favorof Microsoft holding a formal review of its sexual harassment policies' effectiveness, followed by a report once results were gathered. Now, Microsoft has chosen law firm Arent Fox LLP to carry out said review, with a report to release in the spring of 2022, later this year.
One item that will be addressed in the upcoming review is the 2019 allegation and subsequent board investigation of Microsoft co-founder and former CEOBill Gates(viaCNBC). The probe’s findings will be summarized in Arent Law’s report. The law firm will also compare Microsoft’s practices against other companies' procedures for handling sexual harassment situations. Microsoft will then release a report indicating how it plans to adjust its sexual harassment policies and practices.
It’s a big time for sexual harassment review in the tech industry, as evidenced by theActivision Blizzard ruckus of 2021, wherein the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) filed a civil lawsuit against the company as a result of numerous instances of sexual harassment, many of which the company’s acting CEO Bobby Kotick reportedlyknew about but failed to act on.
In terms of the upcoming report concerning Microsoft’s sexual harassment history, current Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella shared a statement on the matter. “Our culture remains our number one priority and the entire Board appreciates the critical importance of a safe and inclusive environment for all Microsoft employees,” he said. “We’re committed not just to reviewing the report but learning from the assessment so we can continue to improve the experiences of our employees. I embrace this comprehensive review as an opportunity to continue to get better.”
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Robert Carnevale is the News Editor for Windows Central. He’s a big fan of Kinect (it lives on in his heart), Sonic the Hedgehog, and the legendary intersection of those two titans, Sonic Free Riders. He is the author ofCold War 2395. Have a useful tip? Send it to robert.carnevale@futurenet.com.
