Gender biases and stereotypes in the workplace

By Brian Kreissl

Back in April, I wrote a post asking why sexism is still a problem in today’s workplaces. With all of the progress we have made towards gender equality, it is a shame we’re still seeing so many men with negative stereotypes of women, and how women still struggle for gender equality in traditionally male dominated industries such as technology.

By now, people are probably familiar with the story of James Damore. He is the former Google engineer who was recently fired by the company after posting a 10-page document internally that accused the company of silencing “conservative” viewpoints relating to diversity.

The document questioned Google’s “politically correct monoculture” and the stifling of contrary opinions, as well as initiatives surrounding gender diversity and inclusion, and argued that biological differences are behind lower numbers of women entering the technology field and leadership positions.

Apparently, Damore referred to women as being more neurotic and prone to stress and anxiety, more agreeable and gregarious than men, less assertive and more interested in people than things. He also claimed women are more concerned with work-life balance and are less status-driven than men. Damore also mentioned how traditional gender roles often push men into higher-status roles.

This understandably got many people quite upset, and Google ended up firing Damore, citing a breach of its code of conduct. Nevertheless, the move has resulted in a firestorm of criticism from some social conservatives and free speech advocates who argue that Google and other Silicon Valley technology companies have a liberal bias, are too politically correct and do not tolerate dissenting viewpoints among employees.

While there may be some truth to allegations that technology companies are inherently “liberal” in their cultures, values, policies and practices — and there is something to be said for allowing for reasonable debate and civilized discourse among employees in matters relating to diversity — such arguments largely miss the point. I believe most people recognize that men and women are different, but negatively stereotyping half the population in an industry not known for its gender diversity isn’t helpful.

Damore was fired not so much for what he said, but rather because of the forum he chose to express such views and the fact that some of what he said could be viewed as misogynistic and, therefore, contrary to the culture of inclusion Google is trying to foster. I agree with one commentator who said it wouldn’t have been a problem if Damore had simply expressed his opinions among like-minded colleagues in the company cafeteria.

According to Google CEO Sundar Pichai, Damore’s comments perpetuated “harmful gender stereotypes.” At the same time, Pichai made a commitment to reaching out to others with different viewpoints and ensuring Googlers aren’t penalized simply for expressing their views.

Limits on free speech

Many people fail to understand that constitutional guarantees of free speech in the United States (and Canada) apply to governmental action and do not really apply to the workplace. Free speech is never an absolute in any society, and constitutional guarantees of free speech do not necessarily apply to the workplace, where employers are entitled to limit their employees’ freedom of expression — particularly where that expression would be hateful, unlawful or unethical or would tend to bring the employer into disrepute.

While some people have argued Damore’s termination may be contrary to California law — which protects employees from reprisals based on their political beliefs — I am surprised things like gender diversity and equality are even viewed as partisan political issues. People also need to understand that Google was recently faced with legal action from the U.S. Department of Labor based on allegations of “systemic compensation disparities” relating to its female employees.

Technology dominated by young males

The tech industry, which tends to be dominated by young males, is notorious for its “bro culture” that is seen as unwelcoming to women, older people and people of certain ethnicities. This is a problem because technology is a lucrative field and is seen as the future of all industries, not just technology itself.

For whatever reason, relatively few women go into technology as a career. Outreach programs that encourage women and girls to pursue careers in science and technology are helpful and necessary, but Damore’s manifesto jeopardized such initiatives. For that reason, Google had little choice but to fire him.