https://www.sfgate.com/tech/article/okta-lawsuit-gender-retaliatory-layoffs-19489065.php SF Gate LogoHearst Newspapers Logo Skip to main content [ ] Newsletters Home * About SFGATE * Contact SFGATE * Newsletters * Classifieds * Standards & Practices * Advertise With Us * Privacy Notice * Terms of Use * Ad Choices * Your Privacy Choices News * Bay Area * California Wildfires * Education * Weather * Health * Politics Local * SF History Los Angeles Best Of Sports * 49ers * Giants * A's * Warriors * How to Watch Culture * Movies * Streaming * Tech & Social Media * Cannabis * Senior Living * Comics Food + Drink Travel * Tahoe * California Parks * Disneyland * Hawaii * Wine Country * Monterey-Carmel Real Estate * New Homes * (Virtual) Open Homes * Luxury * Rentals * Mortgage Rates * Place a Real Estate Ad * Neighborhood Guides * Home & Garden Obits * Obituaries * Place an Obituary Shopping Puzzles Sponsor Content * Sponsor Content: Business SF Gate LogoNewsletters TOP STORY Frontier Airlines CEO complains about 'rampant abuse' by passengers Technology 'Distrust and bias': SF tech company worth $14B accused of retaliatory layoffs By Stephen Council, Tech ReporterJune 1, 2024 Okta, maker of identity and access software, is headquartered at 100 First St. in San Francisco's SoMa neighborhood. The company was sued in May, with allegations of gender discrimination. Courtesy of Google Streetview Okta, a San Francisco-based tech company known best for making identification software used by businesses, was sued in May over accusations of widespread gender discrimination. * Hiu Ho, who worked full-time at Okta from March 2020 until she was laid off in November 2023, filed the civil lawsuit on May 13, in San Francisco's Superior Court. In the complaint, Ho alleged that she and other female employees experienced "distrust and bias" at Okta, which is worth around $14 billion, and that when she complained about gender discrimination her performance reviews tanked and she was eventually laid off. Ho's complaint detailed a variety of allegations, spanning from companywide issues to individual problems with her supervisors. The complaint said women at Okta experienced "severe bias and inequity," adding that employee satisfaction surveys showed "substantially different" responses for men and women. According to the complaint, female co-workers, frustrated by a seeming lack of respect, complained about her male boss and some even quit without new jobs. Advertisement Article continues below this ad "Like other women, Ms. Ho was encouraged to speak up and was told this is a 'safe place to tell all,' but it was a big trap," the lawsuit said. "Once she found courage to speak, she was retaliated against." The complaint described actions by her boss that could be described as overcontrolling and biased, saying he bullied her with fabricated accusations and sabotaged her work. The complaint also said male managers and colleagues "repeatedly" removed her from emails and meetings. After she was laid off, Ho learned that she and two other female employees who had spoken up about discrimination were the only ones laid off from the team she'd been on, the complaint said. Stephen Ilg, Ho's lawyer, told SFGATE in a statement that Ho's layoff came under "suspicious circumstances." Ilg added, "This lawsuit aims to hold Okta accountable for creating and perpetuating a hostile work environment where gender bias is rampant." Advertisement Article continues below this ad Okta spokesperson Larry Cristini, in a statement to SFGATE Friday, wrote that the company doesn't comment on pending litigation but takes allegations like Ho's "very seriously." Cristini wrote, "We are committed to a culture of equity, inclusion and belonging for all. Our code of conduct and policies prohibit any discriminatory or retaliatory conduct. It's not just about having these policies in place but also enforcing them and creating a safe space for employees to raise any concerns. Fostering a respectful workplace and acting with integrity are fundamental to Okta's values." (Hearst, SFGATE's parent company, contracts with Okta for identity verification.) Ho's lawsuit came just a couple of weeks after a LinkedIn post by former Okta employee Heather Wallander went viral. In the post, Wallander announced that she'd just been promoted, but had decided to quit the company. She said her promotion was a year delayed, and that she had long noticed she was being treated differently from her male peers. Wallander also said she was concerned that "two women were laid off due to what was appearing more and more like gender discrimination." Also in the post, "After 599 days of fighting for change internally, I am walking away so that I can emotionally and mentally withstand the legal battle to come," Wallander wrote. Reached by SFGATE Friday, she said she wasn't able to comment on her next legal steps, but clarified that the "two women" mentioned in her post were laid off months before Ho. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The lawsuit and LinkedIn post were first reported by Gazetteer. Hear of anything happening at Okta or another Bay Area tech company? Contact tech reporter Stephen Council securely at stephen.council@sfgate.com or on Signal at 628-204-5452. BEST OF SFGATE Local | Here's why so many SF homes have sinks in the bedrooms Obscure | The strange tower with no address on Telegraph Hill Travel | This is the most otherworldly sunrise hike of any Calif. park Unsolved | Woman found dead in Yosemite linked to cult leader, serial killer June 1, 2024 Stephen Council Tech Reporter Stephen Council is the tech reporter at SFGATE. He has covered technology and business for The Information, The Wall Street Journal, CNBC and CalMatters, where his reporting won a San Francisco Press Club award. Signal: 628-204-5452 Email: stephen.council@sfgate.com Return To Top SF Gate Logo About Our CompanyCareersOur Use of AIEthics Policy Contact FeedbackNewsroom Contacts Services Advertise with usClassifiedsRecruitment Quick Links CarsJobsWeatherObituaries About * Our Company * Careers * Our Use of AI * Ethics Policy Contact * Feedback * Newsroom Contacts Services * Advertise with us * Classifieds * Recruitment Quick Links * Cars * Jobs * Weather * Obituaries Hearst Newspapers Logo (c) 2024 Hearst Communications, Inc.Terms of UsePrivacy NoticeCA Notice at CollectionYour CA Privacy Rights (Shine the Light)DAA Industry Opt Out Your Privacy Choices (Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads)