A group of former Google employees have sued the company, alleging that it has breached its employment contracts by not honoring its famous motto don't be evil. The suit was filed in California state court by the former Google employees Rebecca Rivers, Sophie Waldman and Paul Duke, who were fired two years ago for violating their contractual obligation to speak up if they saw Google violate its don't be evil pledge.
Google has promoted don t be evil as a core value for over 20 years, including when it went public in 2004.
Three former Google software engineers had raised concerns at town halls and other forums inside Google about the company's potential sale of cloud technology to US immigration authorities.
The lawsuit states that the workers considered the potential immigration work evil under Google's policies, which call for acting honorably and treating each other with respect and engaging in the highest possible standards of ethical business conduct. The code of conduct of the company says workers who think the company may be falling short of its commitments should not stay silent, the lawsuit said.
The workers are seeking an unspecified amount of damages.
The employees of Google have been accused of violating data security policies. The company didn't respond to a request for comment on the new lawsuit.
Three former employees firings have resulted in a National Labor Relations Board trial over whether the company has engaged in unfair practices to stem worker organizing.