A law firm, WilmerHale, conducted a five-month investigation into Pinterest’s governance culture and revealed what needed to be changed regarding the platform’s workplace conditions in a bid to avoid or prevent discrimination.
Most importantly, it is recommended that an ombudsman office be created to cater to employee complaints. The law firm came to this conclusion after speaking with about 350 past and present employees of the company. The company reportedly accepted the recommendations, and have shared these with employees, even going to the extent of posting them on the company website.
In recent times, employees of the company came forward with complaints about the company’s culture, and some of these led to court cases filed against the company. A former COO, Francoise Brougher had won a case in which the company paid $20 million to her and her attorneys, as well as an additional $2.5 million to philanthropies supporting other tech groups.
It appears that the law firm intends to limit the company’s liability should cases come up in the future, and to forestall future litigations. The report attested to two women who spoke out about racism and s3xism at Pinterest.
The report also encourages empathy and care when investigations are carried out in the workplace. These investigations must be thorough, follow clear and standardized procedures. Management should promptly respond to employees when they file complaints, while the investigation should be carried out confidentially.
Furthermore, the report urged that Pinterest’s process for disciplining employees should be consistent and formalized. Investigators should do their best to recommend similar outcomes for similar conduct across the board.
The company should endeavor to address off-site conduct, and henceforth, any policy changes need to take into account any behaviors impacting working relationships regardless of where it occurs. Pinterest vows to responsibility and commits to making the desired changes so that they can build a diverse, equitable, and inclusive environment for every worker.
