Ifeoma Ozoma, a former employee of Google, Facebook and Pinterest launched a free resource guide as well as a new California law that same week. Ifeoma Ozoma
Silicon Valley is becoming more vocal in its support of whistleblowers. Frances Haugen (an ex-Facebook employee) testified before Congress this week after she revealed documents that indicated the company was aware of the damage its products are causing. California Governor. Gavin Newsom signed Silenced No More Act. This law prohibits employers using nondisclosure agreements to silence complaints about discrimination. Ifeoma Ozoma was a former employee of Pinterest and this timing was perfect. She has been trying to create a safe place for tech whistleblowers for a lot of her energy lately. Ozoma, along with another Black ex-Pinterest employee made public claims of discrimination, retaliation, and harassment during their time at the social network company in 2020. Ozoma created a free online resource guide to assist tech workers considering filing workplace complaints. The "Tech Worker Handbook" is the name of the guide. Ozoma said it was designed to provide basic information to those who are looking for help in sharing their stories of misconduct or how to prepare to go next. Ozoma, a 29-year-old interviewee, said that it was really sad. It is a difficult decision for your family and yourself to make when you consider all the expenses that you will need to plan for when you leave a company. If we don't provide any support or resources, I believe we are doing people a disservice. This basically means, "throw yourself into a lion's nest and good luck." Ozoma's guide received praise from many in the industry and was viewed over 30,000 times on its first day. Ozoma is the owner of the domain and oversees the site. Ozoma has tapped numerous tech workers and organizations to contribute to the guide. CNBC spoke with her about the hundreds of questions she received from workers since launching the guide. They wanted to know how they could get involved or if they should make a public statement about their company. Ellen Pao, a former Reddit CEO and tech investor, praised Ozoma for her work. In 2012, Kleiner Perkins was sued by Kleiner Perkins for discrimination against women. Pao stated, "It's extremely important to set peoples' expectations." She said that "Your company will come after you as we saw with the PR attack against Frances", referring to Facebook’s attempts to discredit Haugen's testimony.
Frances Haugen, an ex-Facebook employee, testifies at the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety and Data Security hearing entitled Children's Online Safety -Facebook Whistleblower, held in Russell Building on Tuesday, Oct 5, 2021. CQ-Roll Call, Inc.
Ozoma stated that her goal is not to persuade people to blow the whistle, but to present them with their options. This guide contains pages of information that can be used to provide advice about media, legal actions, and security precautions. Workers are asked several questions before they speak out. Ozoma warns of the possible loss of income or health care that can result from being fired or moving on to another job. When she quit Pinterest, she said that she had to pay $900 per month for her health insurance.
DMs won't cut it
Ozoma stated that employees contact her every week for advice. Often, they do so via text. However, having worked in the technology industry, Ozoma knows that software is an essential part of the equation. She said that while she is happy to answer DMs for the rest my life, it is not a scalable method for tech workers to discover what they need to protect themselves. Another well-known whistleblower in Silicon Valley is Erika Cheung. She was one of the ex-employees at Theranos who claimed that the company's blood-testing results were faulty. Ozoma and Cheung discussed months ago the many costs workers face when they speak out about their workplace conditions, and the need to have more resources. The guide was written by Ozoma with Cheung's input. In the handbook, Cheung stated that while you will be subject to retaliation as well as many difficulties in navigating the legal systems, the thing that kept my going was knowing that the company was wrong. When I was in particularly difficult situations, that anchor is where I turned.
California Governor Gavin Newsom is surrounded by state, local and national officials during a press conference at Bolsa Chica State Beach, Huntington Beach, which was the scene of the recent offshore oil spillage. MediaNews Group
Ozoma stated that both the Silenced No More Act as well as her handbook were created after more than a decade of organizing and lobbying. Ozoma was a sponsor of the bill and helped to gather support from thousands in the tech sector. She claimed that she learned skills while working for Google, Facebook, and Pinterest in public policy positions. She said that she learned how to interact with the press and work with policymakers. It's been a great way to learn and apply these skills, but not only for my employer. Ozoma stated that she had worked with former colleagues at each of her previous employers. Sometimes, this meant teaching people with different experiences. Ozoma stated that most people in the tech sector don't know how legislation works. It's been a tedious process to meet with senators via Zoom and ask supporters to join hour-long calls to voice their support for the bill.
"Too much for one person to bear"
