Uber Technologies Inc. is in the midst of a workplace culture and branding crisis that if not remedied will make the company less desirable to diverse top talent and will affect its bottom line.
The ride-hailing company said on Tuesday it fired more than 20 employees following a report by law firm Perkins Coie, which was hired to look into claims of sexual harassment, discrimination, bullying and other employee concerns. In February, former engineer Susan Fowler publicly accused the company of rampant sexual harassment and poor human resources practices.
Perkins Coie investigated 215 staff complaints, the majority from employees at its headquarters in San Francisco, going back as far as 2012, Uber said, taking action in 58 cases and no action on 100 more. Other investigations are continuing.
