Uber diversity chief on leave after employee criticism over ‘Don’t call me Karen’ panel | CNN Business

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Uber’s head of diversity is on leave from the company after criticism from some employees related to an internal panel called “Don’t call me Karen.”

Bo Young Lee, Uber’s chief diversity and inclusion officer, is on leave, Uber spokesman Noah Edwardsen confirmed to CNN on Monday.

Lee oversaw a series of sessions called “Moving Forward” at Uber that focused on issues related to race, gender identity and class. One of the most recent sessions was titled “Don’t Call Me Karen” and focused on the experiences of a handful of female leaders, a person familiar with the matter told CNN. “Karen” is a slang term that typically refers to a middle-aged white woman with a strong sense of entitlement, often at the expense of people of color.

Lee was placed on leave after a follow-up listening session in response to concerns about the “Don’t Call Me Karen” panel raised additional concerns, the person said.

According to the New York Times, which first reported the news, black and Hispanic Uber workers first thought event organizers were focusing more on the harm caused by the use of the nickname of “Karen” than in the damage that whites can inflict. people of color

In a follow-up listening session, the Times reported, some employees felt their concerns weren’t being heard and that instead of being given a chance to provide feedback or have a dialogue, Lee told them about their response to the initial “Gift”. t Call Me Karen”.

The Times cited an internal email from Uber’s head of human resources, as well as messages on the workplace tool Slack from groups for Uber’s black and Hispanic employees. (CNN has not seen the email or the messages.)

The Uber incident is the latest example of Silicon Valley companies grappling with the limitations of seeking more open dialogue at work. It also exemplifies some of the broader struggles that various companies have faced in recent years when dealing with issues of identity and race in the workplace.

Lee is Uber’s chief diversity and inclusion officer. Lee joined the ride-hailing company in 2018, shortly after Dara Khosrowshahi took over as Uber’s CEO.

Khosrowshahi was tasked with righting the company after Uber co-founder and CEO Travis Kalanick stepped down in 2017 following a seemingly endless series of public relations crises for the company, including ‘former employee’s report of workplace sexism and harassment. In 2019, he agreed to a $4.4 million settlement with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission over sex discrimination charges.