Whistleblowing Backfires: Google Employee Claims Retaliation After Reporting Sexual Harassment

A senior Google employee, Victoria Woodall, claims she was wrongfully made redundant after exposing a manager’s inappropriate behavior, sparking a legal battle for justice. In an employment tribunal, Woodall recounted how she reported a manager who bragged about his swinger lifestyle and showed inappropriate images of his wife, only to face a campaign of retaliation from her own employer.

An internal investigation by Google revealed that the manager had sexually harassed at least two female colleagues, and the actions in question included unwanted touching and explicit remarks about open relationships. Despite the findings, Google’s stance is that Woodall’s perception of normal business operations became ’paranoid’ after her whistleblowing.

Woodall had held a pivotal role as a senior industry head in Google’s UK Sales and Agencies team. Her troubles began when a client reported that the same manager had made derogatory comments during a business lunch. After filing a complaint, Woodall noticed retaliation from her superiors, including forced account transfers that jeopardized her career. She described this situation as a ’poisoned chalice,’ setting her up for redundancy.

As her complaints about the manager escalated, Woodall further exposed a ’boys’ club’ culture within Google, which she alleged had been tolerated by upper management. Despite broad support from employees for addressing these serious issues, Woodall was eventually made redundant, a decision Google attributes to departmental restructuring rather than retaliation for her whistleblowing.

The case is still pending a judgment from the London Central Employment Tribunal, but it underscores serious questions about workplace culture, handling of sexual harassment complaints, and the potential retaliation faced by those who speak out. Google is adamant that their internal and external practices are in line with equality and inclusivity, despite the troubling allegations brought to light by Woodall.