A group of workers—some of themfull-time employees and others contractors—has embarked on acampaign to get Google to extend its sexual harassment protectionsto TVCs. (Photo: Shutterstock)

In a victory for thousands of protesting employees, Google earlier this monthoverhauled the way it handles allegations of sexual misconduct. But those changes largelyleft out a group that makes up over half of the search giant'sworkforce: temporary, vendor and contract workers, a group Googlerefers to as TVCs.

Now, a group of workers—some of them full-time employees andothers contractors—have embarked on a campaign to get Google toextend protections to TVCs, people with knowledge of the mattersaid. They asked not to be identified because they didn't want tojeopardize their jobs. For starters, some workers recently set upan internal mailing list to discuss the issue and options for whatto seek from Alphabet Inc.'s Google, one of the people said. Tokick off conversation, the first post included a link to a JulyBloomberg story on the size and role of the company's contractors,this person said.

Related: How Google responded to its employeewalkout

The sexual misconduct policy changes, announced by Google ChiefExecutive Officer Sundar Pichai on Nov. 8, include an end to forcedarbitration for individual sexual harassment and sexual assaultclaims, doing away with a policy that victim advocates say candeprive accusers of a fair hearing and proper redress ofgrievances. Google also pledged to provide more information tostaff about investigations and outcomes, and to expand mandatorysexual misconduct training.

The response frustrated some TVCs, who didn't get an email aboutthe changes and weren't allowed to attend a staff meeting on thetopic, the people said.

“I absolutely support contractors in their goals,” one Googleemployee said, while asking not to be identified. “There are manyGooglers who feel the same and will lend our weight to any effortscontractors lead on their own behalf.”

A Google spokeswoman declined to comment. The company has saidit investigates whenever a contractor makes a complaint against aGoogle employee, and expects contracting companies to do the samewhen a complaint is made against a contractor.

Google also recently broadened its Supplier Code of Conduct andrequires suppliers, including outside contracting firms, to“demonstrate a commitment to identify, measure, and improve aculture of diversity and inclusion through all aspects of workplacemanagement.”

In July, Bloomberg wrote about Google's “shadow workforce” andrevealed that earlier this year, for the first time, temporary,vendor and contract workers made up more than half of the company'stotal staff. These employees serve meals, write code, manage teamsand sit inside self-driving cars. Unlike full-time workers, theyaren't given stock, and many struggle with inadequate health care.They aren't allowed in some buildings or at some companymeetings.

Read more: 

• New York and California take the lead on sexualharassment training. Who will follow?
• 5 questions to help guide the overhaul of yoursexual harassment policies
• Constructing a workplace environment that rejectssexual harassment

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