Target: Mr. Travis Kalanick, Uber’s CEO
Goal: Praise the dismissal of engineer accused of sexual harassment and the company’s efforts to address issues of sexism and sexual harassment in the workplace.
Uber dismissed the head of its engineering efforts for failing to disclose a sexual harassment claim from his previous job. Mr. Amit Singhal was a high-profile hire and a sign that Uber established itself as a powerful brand and one of the top companies in the Silicon Valley. His dismissal, therefore, is a solid indication that the corporation is working to change its systematic problem of sexism and sexual harassment. Public demonstrations of support to Uber female workers — such as a petition published on ForceChange — were vital to push the company toward a more equal and respectful workplace.
Mr. Singhal was hired to oversee Uber’s mapping division and a unit coordinating the dispatching, marketing, and pricing of Uber cars. He reported directly to CEO Travis Kalanick and advised Mr. Anthony Levandowski, who is responsible for the company’s self-driving automobile project. Mr. Singhal had previously worked for Google and concealed his record at the search giant company when landing a job at Uber: in 2015, Google considered an employee’s claim of sexual harassment against Mr. Singhal “credible” in an internal investigation. It is remarkable that this time Mr. Singhal did not step down with a golden handshake and will not get away with his record of ill-mannered treatment of women.
Accusations of sexual harassment and sexism by former and current female workers led to a contract between Uber and Mr. Eric H. Holder Jr., who served as attorney general under the Obama administration. The agreement regards the conduction of an internal investigation into the claims exposed in a meeting with more than 100 female employees. Mr. Holder Jr. is joined by the prominent Arianna Huffington, who is the co-founder and editor-in-chief of The Huffington Post and a member of Uber’s board of directors, and Tammy Albarrán, who is a top lawyer partner at Mr. Holder Jr.’s law firm. Sign the petition to praise Uber’s initiative in the matter and demand that internal investigation does not leave any harasser off the hook, including the so-called “top performer” employees.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear Mr. Kalanick,
Former and current female workers in your company have spoken out about the pervasive sexist culture within Uber and, in a meeting with you, sent a clear message that sexism and sexual harassment should be rooted out. Therefore, I am extremely satisfied with the recent dismissal of Mr. Amit Singhal, head of Uber’s mapping division. Mr. Singhal failed to disclose his record of sexual harassment at Google and should not have a seat in such a prominent company like Uber.
I take Mr. Singhal’s dismissal as a concrete step toward a more equal and respectful work environment. I hope you fully support the internal investigation currently conducted by Mr. Eric H. Holder Jr. and that it leads to the layoff of every harasser and a safer space to female tech professionals.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo credit: Adam Fagen
no more rape! no more harassment!