Uber—Uber achieved gender and racial pay equity after 2017 cultural overhaul, replacing 14 toxic values with ethics-centered norms
After the 2017 sexual harassment scandal exposed by Susan Fowler, Uber undertook a comprehensive cultural transformation under CEO Dara Khosrowshahi. The Eric Holder investigation led to board-approved reforms including zero-tolerance harassment policies. Khosrowshahi replaced the 14 'super pumped' values with 8 ethics-centered norms including 'We do the right thing. Period' and 'We celebrate differences.' The company achieved gender and racial pay equity, hired its first diversity officer, established 18 weeks flexible paid parental leave, and created Pride at Uber and other employee resource groups. A $4.4M EEOC fund compensated harassment victims.
Scoring Impact
| Topic | Direction | Relevance | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| DEI Programs | +toward | secondary | +0.50 |
| Gender Equity | +toward | primary | +1.00 |
| LGBTQ+ Rights | +toward | secondary | +0.50 |
| Overall incident score = | +0.443 | ||
Score = avg(topic contributions) × significance (high ×1.5) × confidence (0.59)× agency (reactive ×0.75)
Evidence (1 signal)
Uber implemented Holder report reforms: zero-tolerance harassment, pay equity, new cultural values
Following the 2017 sexual harassment scandal, Uber's board unanimously approved Eric Holder's reform recommendations. CEO Dara Khosrowshahi replaced 14 values including 'super pumped' with ethics-centered norms. The company achieved gender and racial pay equity, hired its first diversity officer, created 18 weeks flexible paid parental leave, and paid a $4.4M EEOC settlement. Employee focus groups with 22,000 votes shaped the new culture.