Not The Onion

Uber just suspended its chief of diversity, equity and inclusion for allegations of sensitivity INSENSITIVITY.

Specifically Bo Young Lee is alleged to have conducted multiple multiple meetings to help people understand and appreciate "Karens".

As Anna Russel would say, "I'm not making this up, you know."

Uber has suspended its head of diversity, equity and inclusion after Black and Hispanic employees complained about the workplace events she moderated exploring the experience of white American women under the title “Don’t Call Me Karen”.

The ride-hailing app has confirmed that it has asked Bo Young Lee, who has led its DEI department for five years, to take a leave of absence while the company works out “next steps”. Her suspension is the latest wave of chaos to strike the $72bn company over its corporate culture.

Lee’s suspension, which was first reported by the New York Times, follows mounting internal discontent over two “Don’t Call Me Karen” sessions that she convened on Zoom for up to 500 employees. The events, one in April and the second last week, were billed as “diving into the spectrum of the American white woman’s experience from some of our female colleagues, particularly how they navigate around the ‘Karen’ persona”.

………

Uber has labored hard to improve and modernize its workplace culture after the 2017 resignation of its chief executive, Travis Kalanick, following months of scandals. Under his leadership, the company was alleged by a whistleblower to have fostered widespread gender discrimination and sexual harassment.

Kalanick’s replacement as chief executive, Dara Khosrowshahi, vowed to turn around the culture. His efforts have included a focus on DEI, led by Lee, whom he brought into the company in 2018.

Uber is a horrible company. It makes its money by abusing its drivers.

Any alleged focus on DEI is rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic.

There is difference between an evil company that makes its money by ruthlessly exploiting workers, and one that makes its money by ruthlessly exploiting workers with regular DEI training sessions.

I'm sure that there is some sort of pithy, "Arbeit macht frei," reference I could make here, but my writing skills are insufficient to find it.