The investor urged Microsoft to fight internal harassment after a sex scandal involving its founder Bill Gates.
This will help to avoid legal and reputational risks, as well as preserve the value of the company’s shares.
In a June 17 resolution, influential investment firm Arjuna Capital urged the IT company to publish an annual transparency report detailing its sexual harassment policy and investigating alleged incidents.
“Microsoft is now under intense public attention due to numerous harassment statements and an inability to address them adequately and transparently. Reports of Bill Gates’ sexual harassment of employees have only heightened concerns and challenged the culture set by management” said Natasha Lamb, partner at Arjuna Capital. Microsoft declined to comment on the resolution.
Bill Gates’ romance with an employee is most discussed in 2000 when he was still chairman of the board of directors.
Microsoft’s management launched an investigation into this case 2 years ago, and in early 2020, Gates left the board of directors.
However, a spokesman for Gates said the decision had nothing to do with the scandal.
Microsoft has faced other allegations of gender discrimination and harassment from employees as well. In 2015, a class-action lawsuit was filed against the company, in which a former employee pointed out unfair treatment due to her gender.
To this, Microsoft responded that they were “used to dividing the workforce”.
