The changes, announced internally Wednesday, include hiring outside investigators to independently look into workplace misconduct allegations and providing support to company leaders who wish to report problems and concerns.
Microsoft will also allow company leaders to report office misconduct allegations that they are aware of, even if they don’t have firsthand evidence of the incidents. And it will also encourage workers to report incidents confidentially, promising not to reveal their identities to colleagues or managers unless they consent to it.
“I believe these actions represent a meaningful shift and create a better pathway to justice for employees who experience workplace harassment and discrimination,” Chief Human Resources Officer Kathleen Hogan wrote in a memo announcing the new protocols.
It’s the latest move by a large technology corporation amid a wider movement spurred by the #MeToo movement, where more women and men are coming forward to speak out about sexual harassment and discrimination in their industries.
Last year, Google changed its workplace harassment policies, while Facebook and Uber changed how they handle sexual assault and harassment complaints. Lyft has also made its internal policies public.
Hogan said the changes followed a monthslong listening process with employees that concluded that the software giant needed to improve how it handled workplace harassment and discrimination cases, in part because employees weren’t confident that such issues would be investigated impartially and confidentially.
Microsoft also overhauled its workplace training, focusing it more on bystander intervention and ways to prevent harassment. The corporation is also offering additional training to senior managers on how to effectively address complaints and concerns from their teams, and how to identify signs of workplace harassment or bullying.
Microsoft also says it will provide support for people who feel they are being retaliated against for reporting issues. That includes hiring an outside firm to audit whether the software company effectively retaliates against employees who come forward.
