Microsoft widespread sexual harassment overlooked by HR

[Deleted member 11852]

I'm not sure if this the right forum to post this so mods do relocate as necessary. This Quartz article addresses issues across Microsoft but Xbox division is mentioned where toxic attitudes sounds so pervasive, they are openly dismissed.

In a far-reaching email chain within Microsoft, women have shared stories of sexual harassment and discrimination, gaining notice from the company’s senior leadership team, according to more than 90 pages of emails reviewed by Quartz.

Another said that she had been called a “bitch” at work more than once, and found it was pervasive in the company. “We did a roundtables with the women when I was in Xbox core [team] & every woman, except for 1, had been called a bitch at work,” the Microsoft employee wrote. “Before people say this is just an Xbox thing (as I’ve heard that dismissiveness way too many times within Microsoft before) the other eng [engineering] orgs where my experiences happened were Windows & Azure. This is a Microsoft thing, a common one.”

Kathleen Hogan, Microsoft’s head of human resources, replied on March 29 after dozens of emails had accumulated on the chain, saying that she had raised the issue with the company’s senior leadership team, and would personally look into claims that were initially passed over by HR.

 

[Sxotty]

I thought this already came out, or is this just deja vu of a previous scandal?

 

[Deleted member 11852]

I thought this already came out, or is this just deja vu of a previous scandal?

This has unfolded this past week.

 

[BRiT]

Is it that past sexual harassment was overlooked by HR or that the past offenses were not reported by various management to HR? The human resource department did respond to the current 90+ page email saying they would look into all reported incidents.

Edit: Seems like it is a mix of both, nonreported and ignored incidents. For shame to those who ignored it.

Snippet from article:

A Microsoft spokesperson verified that the company’s top HR executive had replied to the thread. The company is holding a regularly scheduled all-hands meeting today at 9:45am US Pacific time, where employees are expected to ask about the accusations described in the thread, according to one of the Microsoft employees who verified the emails.

“This thread has pulled the scab off a festering wound. The collective anger and frustration is palpable. A wide audience is now listening. And you know what? I’m good with that,” one Microsoft employee in the email chain wrote.

On the thread, some Microsoft employees also said that they found the discussion empowering and that they valued the willingness of their coworkers to come forward.

One female Microsoft employee alleged that during a work trip an employee of a partner company threatened to kill her if she did not perform implied sexual acts. “I raised immediate attention to HR and management,” she wrote. “My male manager told me that ‘it sounded like he was just flirting’ and I should ‘get over it’. HR basically said that since there was no evidence, and this man worked for a partner company and not Microsoft, there was nothing they could do.”

And now HR is investigating:

“I discussed this thread with the [senior leadership team] today. We are appalled and sad to hear about these experiences. It is very painful to hear these stories and to know that anyone is facing such behavior at Microsoft. We must do better,” Hogan wrote. “I would like to offer to anyone who has had such demeaning experiences including those who felt were dismissed by management or HR to email me directly. I will personally look into the situation with my team.”

 

[Deleted member 11852]

Is it that past sexual harassment was overlooked by HR or that the past offenses were not reported by various management to HR? The human resource department did respond to the current 90+ page email saying they would look into all reported incidents.

Both. Many of the original complaints were brought to Microsoft HR reps and dismissed, hence the 90+ page email chain. This is covered by the Quartz article. The email chain itself, which isn't hard to find, makes for appalling reading.

 

[Deleted member 11852]

And now HR is investigating:

Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?

 

[BRiT]

Yesh, I imagine the entire chain is out there word for word and not even at obscure places like pastebin but likely more popular social media sites.

Its going to take a huge and prolonged social movement to really put an end to sexism in the corporate world. Even with the past large movements like #MeToo, unfortunately I dont see things improving even in 2 generations even when today's teens become the majority workforce and upper level execs. Somehow the bad manages to find a way to live on and get passed down.

 

[iroboto]

So much of it goes unreported. Ontop of that, I generally find with most companies, HR is not really you’re friend, they still represent corporate interests.

 

[BRiT]

Ontop of that, I generally find with most companies, HR is not really you’re friend, they still represent corporate interests.

Yes.

[ That's often how self-perceived whistle-blowers get themselves into trouble; that and thinking they shouldn't talk to an outside lawyer first to find out the exact steps that are required. ]

In regards to sexual harassment, it should be that corporate interests align with societal interests that align with individual interests.

 

[Cyan]

Is it that past sexual harassment was overlooked by HR or that the past offenses were not reported by various management to HR? The human resource department did respond to the current 90+ page email saying they would look into all reported incidents.

Edit: Seems like it is a mix of both, nonreported and ignored incidents. For shame to those who ignored it.

Snippet from article:

A Microsoft spokesperson verified that the company’s top HR executive had replied to the thread. The company is holding a regularly scheduled all-hands meeting today at 9:45am US Pacific time, where employees are expected to ask about the accusations described in the thread, according to one of the Microsoft employees who verified the emails.

“This thread has pulled the scab off a festering wound. The collective anger and frustration is palpable. A wide audience is now listening. And you know what? I’m good with that,” one Microsoft employee in the email chain wrote.

On the thread, some Microsoft employees also said that they found the discussion empowering and that they valued the willingness of their coworkers to come forward.

One female Microsoft employee alleged that during a work trip an employee of a partner company threatened to kill her if she did not perform implied sexual acts. “I raised immediate attention to HR and management,” she wrote. “My male manager told me that ‘it sounded like he was just flirting’ and I should ‘get over it’. HR basically said that since there was no evidence, and this man worked for a partner company and not Microsoft, there was nothing they could do.”

And now HR is investigating:

“I discussed this thread with the [senior leadership team] today. We are appalled and sad to hear about these experiences. It is very painful to hear these stories and to know that anyone is facing such behavior at Microsoft. We must do better,” Hogan wrote. “I would like to offer to anyone who has had such demeaning experiences including those who felt were dismissed by management or HR to email me directly. I will personally look into the situation with my team.”

it's tough to divide the line, but some human beings are just plain stupid. Actually, this is something that must be always reported, something truly serious, compared to the "oh oppression" and "patriarchy" for every inane thing we hear today.

From personal experience on Xbox Live, women can have a bit of everything. Some respectful guys, others that are just plain "rat kids" when it comes to women and others that when they play a vs fighting game against a female, they aren't as competitive and let them play thinking that they don't usually play those games, and are kind to them.

Women are complex creatures. I love them. What I don't understand is this kind of behaviour in the workspace. That's totally stupid and dangerous.

Evidence of that is very hard to find for sure. A true victim could never get the proof they want. Also as a male you could be accused of something you never did, and you pay for all of those who actually molest or disturb women. Thankfully, I've only ad a partner in real life and had never had to deal with these things, but it totally irks me that this exists.

 

[wco81]

Sounds like damage control mode that some of the most horrific descriptions have gotten out.

Now the next time the Xbox execs present in public, are we going to look at them differently, wondering if they perpetrate or tolerate sexual harassment in the division?

 

[Shifty Geezer]

Might be nice if someone called them out on it in a conference, instead of letting it just slide past in PR pieces promising to look into it, again.

 

[iroboto]

I suspect it will come up and they will need to respond to this at a level higher than the HR person.

 

[AlNom]

Would almost need to be some sort of keynote talk to focus on it especially and discuss what they plan to do about it.

:s

 

[mrcorbo]

Glad this is getting out. Hopefully, it will embolden more victims to come forward and cause offenders to think twice.

 

[BRiT]

Glad this is getting out. Hopefully, it will embolden more victims to come forward and cause offenders to think twice.

If the Trump tapes and other allegations didn't cause offenders to think twice, I doubt anything will.

 

[mrcorbo]

If the Trump tapes and other allegations didn't cause offenders to think twice, I doubt anything will.

<shrug> Bringing this stuff out into the light can't hurt. Making the consequences to companies of hiding these issues and protecting offenders worse than the consequences of acknowledging the issues and confronting offenders is a start.

 

[eastmen]

Yesh, I imagine the entire chain is out there word for word and not even at obscure places like pastebin but likely more popular social media sites.

Its going to take a huge and prolonged social movement to really put an end to sexism in the corporate world. Even with the past large movements like #MeToo, unfortunately I dont see things improving even in 2 generations even when today's teens become the majority workforce and upper level execs. Somehow the bad manages to find a way to live on and get passed down.

I've been sexually harassed at multiple jobs in my life time by women. Its just human nature and the more people spend even more time at work things will get real dicey.