As the gender wage gap in tech becomes more and more of a problem, The Department of Labor has begun asking companies to provide wage gap data to better inform on their future decisions. And while Google is usually on the right side of history, they claim they are unable to provide the data. The reason? It’s too expensive. From Google’s own perspective, the data collection would cost somewhere in the ballpark of $100,000, along with 500 or so hours of manpower. While that may sound like a lot to someone sitting behind a computer, a company like Google, with an annual income of $28 billion, could manage that fee with one arm tied behind its back. Yes, The Department of Labor has requested data in the past, which has resulted in approximately $500,000 in work and 2,300 hours of manpower from Google. Unfortunately for the big G, no one is going to be sympathetic when it comes to solving the gender wage gap problem, especially when it’s costing you less than a 1/10,000 of a percent of your annual income. The real question is: what is Google so worried about? While companies like Uber have taken substantial hits when revealing diversity data, the world recognizes effort when it sees it. While Uber’s diversity report was nothing if not disappointing, experts and consumers alike commented, “Hey, at least they’re being honest.” At this point in the game, Google’s only Achilles Hell will be a lack of transparency. The world is already wary of the lack of privacy in the world, an effort primarily fostered by Google’s interconnected model. As a result, transparency will be the key to keeping their kingdom in tact. And that starts with divulging information in regards to the gender wage gap, even if it is a little “expensive.” Read more about the need for diversity in tech here on Tech.Co
