Google Walkout, Heather Nauert UN, Drybar Squeeze: Broadsheet November 2

EVERYONE'S TALKING

• Walk it like you talk it. Google executives must be getting pretty used to being called on the carpet by their employees. There was outrage over former Googler James Damore and his infamous anti-diversity memo, employee protests over the company's work with the Pentagon and its development of a censored search engine for China, and now the global walkout in response to how Google has handled sexual harassment allegations against top brass.

The photos from yesterday's protest show that the walkout blossomed into something far larger than the 200 or 300 people originally expected. And the employees backed up the show of force with a list of five specific demands:

1. End forced arbitration in cases of harassment and discrimination
2. A commitment to end pay and opportunity inequality
3. A publicly disclosed sexual harassment transparency report
4. A clear, uniform, globally inclusive process for reporting sexual misconduct safely and anonymously
5. Promote the chief diversity officer to answer directly to the CEO and make recommendations directly to the Board of Directors. In addition, appoint an employee representative to the board.

Speaking at a New York Times conference yesterday, Google CEO Sundar Pichai made another apology to employees, adding that he knows words are not enough: "We need to follow up with actions." He did not respond directly to the employee demands.

Like it or not, the tech giant is clearly emerging as a crucible where some of the biggest and thorniest issues in the business world—workplace sexual harassment, corporate transparency, and companies' responsibility to take a moral stand—are being hashed out on a very large, very public stage.

Even at a company like Google, with it's famous "Don't be evil" motto, it takes courage to publicly criticize your employer. I hope that courage will be rewarded with what Pichai admitted is required—actions.

ALSO IN THE HEADLINES

• Haley to Heather. Early reports say President Donald Trump is expected to nominate State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert to replace Nikki Haley as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations after Goldman Sachs's Dina Powell reportedly walked away from talks for the job. Nauert is a former Fox News correspondent. Wall Street Journal

• Drybar for... Alli Webb is launching a new venture: Squeeze, Drybar for massages. The brand and decor will be much like Drybar's, with a similar aim of cutting out the pain points of getting a massage. The concept, with its first location launching in L.A. in early 2019, will rely on tech for booking and for customers to communicate their preferences to massage therapists whenever they come in. It's an interesting opportunity for the Drybar team—especially considering the sexual harassment problems plaguing chains like Massage Envy.  Fast Company

• Unethical behavior. When men engage in unethical behavior—like lying, for example—it's more likely to be on their own behalf. Women are more likely to behave unethically on behalf of others, whether that's a manager trying to achieve something for her employees or a lawyer representing her client. Harvard Business Review

MOVERS AND SHAKERS: Katie Bayne, former longtime Coca-Cola exec, joins the board of The Honest Company, the second woman on the seven-person board in addition to founder Jessica Alba. Zendesk CFO Elena Gomez joins the board of PagerDuty. Deirdre Latour is the new chief corporate affairs officer at Pearson. Hannah Brown starts with fuboTV as chief strategy officer. Chelsea A. Grayson will serve as interim CEO of True Religion.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

• The woman behind Wakanda. One of the many talented people who brought Wakanda to life in Black Panther was Ruth E. Carter, the movie's costume designer. In an in-depth profile, Carter shares her process, her priorities, and reflections on her long career in theater, indies, and Hollywood. WSJ. Magazine

• Family separation. In a new piece, The New Yorker tackles what it calls "America's other family separation crisis:" incarcerated moms separated from their children while in prison. The story looks at Oklahoma, the state with the highest rate of women’s incarceration.  The New Yorker

• Chief justice. After the installation of Ethiopia's first female president, Sahle-Work Zewde, the country has also chosen a woman to lead its Supreme Court. Meaza Ashenafi, the new president of the Supreme Court, is a women's rights activist and former judge known for her case that led to the outlawing of kidnapping girls and forcing them into marriage.  Washington Post

• Word limits. The State Department under Mike Pompeo is considering banning its diplomats from using the phrases "sexual and reproductive health" and "comprehensive sexuality education" in their work around the world, including in UN resolutions. The suggested replacement wording? "Reproduction and the related health services." Politico

Today's Broadsheet was produced by Emma Hinchliffe. Share it with a friend. Looking for previous Broadsheets? Click here.

ON MY RADAR

Seven flames kindled by the focused fire of Ntozake Shange  New York Times

The little girl obsessed with Michelle Obama's portrait dressed as her for Halloween  BuzzFeed

HBO's My Brilliant Friend is a testament to Elena Ferrante's elusiveness  New York Times

Will time ever be up for abusive men in hip-hop?  BuzzFeed

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