Some people of color at Yelp's Phoenix office said they experienced racism from hostile customers, as well as their own colleagues. They witnessed racist language, including nicknames and the n-word, as well as memes that mocked non-white clients.
According to a Yelp spokesperson, the company has a "zero-tolerance approach to racism." It has pledged to do more to support non-white employees and has implemented changes including launching additional diversity and inclusion training.One of Yelp's Black employees says she was getting tired of the racist abuse hurled at her while working.
Business Insider spoke to nine current or former employees of Yelp, who described a workplace that at times featured racist comments, inappropriate conduct, bacchanalian parties, a clique-y atmosphere, failures of trust in management, and drug use in the office. In 2019, a white employee in the Phoenix office used the n-word while with colleagues. A Black female employee believed it was directed at her, and immediately complained to their manager. The white employee was pulled aside, and in response later asked the Black employee if she was menstruating. He continued to work at Yelp for several months, before being let go for attendance reasons, two sources said.
A female Black former employee said she was asked if they knew what "reggin" was by a colleague — the n-word spelt backwards. Some employees referred to another Black employee as "Aunt Jemima," sources said. Some sources in Phoenix and Chicago said managers were historically given little training on diversity and inclusion, with some white managers seemingly not knowing how to manage Black employees. Multiple sources said they believed attrition at Yelp of non-white employees was higher than white employees.
Several sources said some employees would make comments about female colleagues' bodies . A former employee said she believed she received preferential treatment because of her appearance, "a luxury as an attractive woman." Former employees said that workers started drinking early in the morning, ripping shots at their desks, and partying in the workplace. "It was the biggest blowout," one source said. "Everyone just lost their mind." Several employees were fired over the incident.
At a Christmas party later that year at a hotel in Phoenix, three sources familiar with the matter said two employees engaged in a consensual sex act in which one penetrated the other with their fingers in public. Another employee apparently recorded it, and workers shared the footage around the office. "She was not happy about it," said one source who said they saw the video. Yelp said it had no record of the incident, and that it would potentially have led to terminations.
"It's a country club, it's a boy's club — if you golf, you're good," one said. Another, from the Chicago office, said that white colleagues received additional training and support given to white colleagues that they didn't receive. "Why did I not get these cheat codes?" she asked. "Is it because I don't go out with you guys on the weekend?"
"Sexual misconduct and the use of illicit drugs or alcohol during work violate our Code of Conduct," the spokesperson said. "While most reported cases of drug or alcohol use during work do result in terminations, there have been instances where an employee has expressed their desire to seek help. In those situations, we have provided support with resources to get the employee the help they needed and the employee remained with the company following completion of a rehab program.
The new mechanism to blacklist abusive clients is part of a swathe of reforms and initiatives by Yelp in the wake of this summer's Black Lives Matter protests. "We firmly believe all employees in our diverse workforce have the right to a safe and inclusive work environment, and take a zero-tolerance approach to racism. We have put a system in place to report hate speech directed at our employees by current and prospective clients, and will refuse to do business with those clients.
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