Essential's Andy Rubin takes leave of absence after 'inappropriate relationship' allegatio...

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Essential head and former Android chief Andy Rubin is taking a "leave of absence" after allegations of an "inappropriate relationship" at Google have resurfaced.




An investigation published by The Information on Tuesday delves into a situation where Rubin was in a relationship with a subordinate. Allegedly, the woman worked in the Android division with Rubin -- and the relationship violated Google policy which required that the couple report the relationship so they can be assigned to different divisions.

The report cites three people "familiar with the matter." However, the specific nature of the complaint filed by the woman weren't detailed by the sources.

However, the accounts did note that Rubin was both made aware of the investigation, as well as conclusions discussed with Rubin in 2014. Rubin was reportedly told that his behavior not only violated company policy, but was "improper and showed bad judgement" according to The Information.

Rubin left Google in 2014, reportedly shortly after the investigation concluded. Publicly, Rubin left because he was frustrated at the time it would take to advance Google's robotics department.

"Any relationship that Mr. Rubin had while at Google was consensual," Rubin spokeman Mike Sitrick told The Information. "Mr. Rubin was never told by Google that he engaged in any misconduct while at Google and he did not, either while at Google or since."

Rubin's leave of absence is said to be for "personal reasons" unrelated to the report.

Rubin's Essential Phone was announced on May 30. It shipped on Aug. 25 with generally positive reviews, but extraordinarily poor repairability, far worse than that of the iPhone.

At launch, the phone cost $699. The retail price has been cut to $499 since and was universally on sale for $399 on Cyber Monday. Early purchasers were given the opportunity to get a $200 "friends and family" code to be used on other Essential products.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 39
    Uh oh.  Fingers crossed that this wave of "leaves of absence" doesn't sweep through Apple next.  Maybe, possibly, their HR policies and practices have been working and there are no unsurfaced allegations against key figures at our favorite fruit company.  
  • Reply 2 of 39
    steven n.steven n. Posts: 1,229member
    It starts from the very top at Google's Sergey Brin as he had an affair with a subordinate while he was married and had kids. I think that shows significantly more "improper and [...] bad judgement" than Rubin's behavior.

    Or... It was all just 
    consensual events that happen when people spend lots of time together and does it really matter?
    jbdragoncalilostkiwianantksundaramradarthekat
  • Reply 3 of 39
    lkrupplkrupp Posts: 10,557member
    So this is how women will finally achieve diversity with men in the workplace? There won’t be any men left! <extreme sarcasm>
    magman1979lukeiracerhomie
  • Reply 4 of 39
    calicali Posts: 3,494member
    Poor guys I bet the females didn’t even get a slap on the hand. Equality right?

    The google guys are scumbags and not because of some consensual relationships.
    magman1979watto_cobraracerhomie
  • Reply 5 of 39
    macxpressmacxpress Posts: 5,930member
    lkrupp said:
    So this is how women will finally achieve diversity with men in the workplace? There won’t be any men left! <extreme sarcasm>
    I know it sarcasm...however I guess it could potentially deter a workplace from hiring a woman. Do I, myself think this is ethical? Hell no! You should always hire the best person for the job whether its male, female, whatever race, religious belief, or sexual orientation. Great people will make you and your company look awesome in the end with great products as long as they're managed properly. 
    calimagman1979watto_cobra
  • Reply 6 of 39
    macxpress said:
    lkrupp said:
    So this is how women will finally achieve diversity with men in the workplace? There won’t be any men left! <extreme sarcasm>
    You should always hire the best person for the job whether its male, female, whatever race, religious belief, or sexual orientation. Great people will make you and your company look awesome in the end with great products as long as they're managed properly. 
    Of course. But if you have two equally great candidates, one being female or a minority, and your team is all whites guys, then you would do well to hire the equally great candidate who is not just like all of your other team members. This diversity isn’t just a feel good measure, but actually introduces value-adding experiences, product expectations, and use cases. Having just more of the same adds no additional value. 

    This diversity is part of what made the original Macintosh team so effective, and Jobs touted their unique backgrounds. Many of them weren't what we'd call formally educated software people and probably couldn't even get hired at Apple today, let alone work on a new rockstar project. 
    edited November 2017 tmayjSnivelyrandominternetpersonmacxpressstanthemananomemagman1979
  • Reply 7 of 39
    Maybe he was having an inappropriate relation with a robot.
    GG1StrangeDaysmelodyof1974caliboltsfan17MacPropalominehmurchisonmagman1979starwars
  • Reply 8 of 39
    spice-boyspice-boy Posts: 1,450member
    If there are any women reading these comments let me apologize for the men that can only imagine what it is like to be a man, lack any empathy and think that when a boss or coworker makes sexual advances those being harassed should be flattered. Guys try for second to imagine being at the other end of unwanted sexual advances, and complaining can cost you your job, promotion or being black listed in your profession. If you can't perhaps Apple will develop an App using augmented reality which puts you in an office situation with a boss that makes sexual comments all day and is constantly grabbing at your crotch. 
    jSnivelyStrangeDaysmontrosemacstmayMartin57palominehmurchisonstanthemananomesingularity
  • Reply 9 of 39
    calicali Posts: 3,494member
    macxpress said:
    lkrupp said:
    So this is how women will finally achieve diversity with men in the workplace? There won’t be any men left! <extreme sarcasm>
    I know it sarcasm...however I guess it could potentially deter a workplace from hiring a woman. Do I, myself think this is ethical? Hell no! You should always hire the best person for the job whether its male, female, whatever race, religious belief, or sexual orientation. Great people will make you and your company look awesome in the end with great products as long as they're managed properly. 
    A company actually did an experiment where they only hired women(imagine the lawsuits if the opposite were true) and all hell broke loose. This stupid meme that all women are delicate flowers is utter BS pushed by weak beta-males who think putting women and bi***es on a pedestal will get them laid.

    The irony in doing it to get laid.

    Maybe he was having an inappropriate relation with a robot.

    Like my friend once said “those store fashion dolls are better than women. You don’t have to pay child support!”

    spice-boy said:
    If there are any women reading these comments let me apologize for the men that can only imagine what it is like to be a man, lack any empathy and think that when a boss or coworker makes sexual advances those being harassed should be flattered. Guys try for second to imagine being at the other end of unwanted sexual advances, and complaining can cost you your job, promotion or being black listed in your profession. If you can't perhaps Apple will develop an App using augmented reality which puts you in an office situation with a boss that makes sexual comments all day and is constantly grabbing at your crotch. 
    CONSENSUAL. The article says it right there. 
    Dont tell me you’re one of those feminists who want to classify staring and farting as “rape”.(these feminist classifications actually exist)

    Men get sexually harassed all the time and if they complain? They’re told to “DEAL WITH IT” or “man up”. Look up the story on the Amazing Atheist who was sexually harassed OPENLY at work and they called him “gay” for complaining. 

    In what world does a women complaining cost HER her job? Because every article, news story and reality shows the man gets fired and the woman is let off scot-free.
    edited November 2017 magman1979
  • Reply 10 of 39
    MacProMacPro Posts: 19,822member
    Maybe he was having an inappropriate relation with a robot.
    You mean like .... an Android?
    calihmurchisonmacxpressmagman1979john.bStrangeDaysSpamSandwichradarthekatwatto_cobra
  • Reply 11 of 39
    spice-boy said:
    If there are any women reading these comments let me apologize for the men that can only imagine what it is like to be a man, lactk any empathy and think that when a boss or coworker makes sexual advances those being harassed should be flattered. Guys try for second to imagine being at the other end of unwanted sexual advances, and complaining can cost you your job, promotion or being black listed in your profession. If you can't perhaps Apple will develop an App using augmented reality which puts you in an office situation with a boss that makes sexual comments all day and is constantly grabbing at your crotch. 
    Did you even read the article, or the comments, or were you too busy climbing on your soap box? I think your assumption of insensitivity and/or lack of empathy is somewhat presumptuous and misplaced. The article is in reference to a consensual relationship, not sexual harassment. There is a BIG difference. I read through all of the comments and do not see any insensitivity toward sexual harassment. Most comments are in reference to a consensual relationship. If a workplace relationship is consensual and violates company policy, I feel both people involved are equally culpable and should receive equal consequences. If we want equality in the work place, we need to practice what we preach. 

    A few years back I was in a consensual relationship with someone I worked with. It was not against company policy, so there were no issues. But FYI, she was the one who made the advances and pursued the relationship. I'm sure the majority of the time that is not the case, but I think we need to remember that when it comes to consensual workplace relationships, it takes two to tango.
    calirandominternetpersonboltsfan17shark5150magman1979radarthekatmacky the macky
  • Reply 12 of 39
    blastdoorblastdoor Posts: 3,562member
    There is a world of difference between a consensual relationship and a nonconsensual relationship. 

    I recognize that a hierarchical power differential can blur the lines between consensual and nonconsensual. But the common corporate HR "zero-tolerance" policy regarding consensual relationships seems needlessly heavy handed. Forcing someone to move to a different division of a company -- most likely into a role that they would not have otherwise chosen and is not as good of a fit as the one they were in -- seems like a real "cut off the nose to spite the face" kind of policy. It's bad for the employees who are allegedly being "protected" and it's bad for the company. 

    I think a better solution would be to approach this sort of thing on a case-by-case basis, guided by some overarching principles, and then do what seems to make the most sense in each case. This would require some thoughtful consideration on the part of management, which is perhaps why it doesn't happen more often. Many managers want all their employees to be interchangeable pawns on the big management chessboard. They are loathe to actually *manage* anything. 

    And yeah -- maybe approaching things case-by-case means dealing with a few more lawsuits, but the optimal number of lawsuits is not zero.
  • Reply 13 of 39
    spice-boy said:
    If there are any women reading these comments let me apologize for the men that can only imagine what it is like to be a man, lack any empathy and think that when a boss or coworker makes sexual advances those being harassed should be flattered. Guys try for second to imagine being at the other end of unwanted sexual advances, and complaining can cost you your job, promotion or being black listed in your profession. If you can't perhaps Apple will develop an App using augmented reality which puts you in an office situation with a boss that makes sexual comments all day and is constantly grabbing at your crotch. 

  • Reply 14 of 39
    blastdoor said:
    There is a world of difference between a consensual relationship and a nonconsensual relationship. 

    I recognize that a hierarchical power differential can blur the lines between consensual and nonconsensual. But the common corporate HR "zero-tolerance" policy regarding consensual relationships seems needlessly heavy handed. Forcing someone to move to a different division of a company -- most likely into a role that they would not have otherwise chosen and is not as good of a fit as the one they were in -- seems like a real "cut off the nose to spite the face" kind of policy. It's bad for the employees who are allegedly being "protected" and it's bad for the company. 

    I think a better solution would be to approach this sort of thing on a case-by-case basis, guided by some overarching principles, and then do what seems to make the most sense in each case. This would require some thoughtful consideration on the part of management, which is perhaps why it doesn't happen more often. Many managers want all their employees to be interchangeable pawns on the big management chessboard. They are loathe to actually *manage* anything. 

    And yeah -- maybe approaching things case-by-case means dealing with a few more lawsuits, but the optimal number of lawsuits is not zero.
    At most companies, allowing a supervisor to date a subordinate is asking for trouble.  It's impossible to be completely impartial when judging someone's work, when deciding compensation, when assigning work, etc.  These sorts of relationships are unfair not just for the subordinate but also for that person's co-workers.  It's not much different from a professor-student relationship.  If you want the relationship, you have to adjust other parts of your life.  That's not unreasonable.

    Now I'm talking about direct supervisor-subordinate relationships.  Less direct relationships are easier to compensate for (e.g., if I'm dating someone who works for a peer of mine), with proper controls.
    tmayStrangeDaysronn
  • Reply 15 of 39
    jimh2jimh2 Posts: 661member
    This gives him a way out of the failing essential phone.
    caliSpamSandwichradarthekatwatto_cobramacky the macky
  • Reply 16 of 39
    "In what world does a women complaining cost HER her job?" I guess Cali doesn't read much.
    randominternetpersonpalominejSnivelyronn
  • Reply 17 of 39
    calicali Posts: 3,494member
    pk22901 said:
    "In what world does a women complaining cost HER her job?" I guess Cali doesn't read much.
    No you don’t wanna come to grips with reality and pandering to women and bashing men won’t get you laid, sorry!

    I’ve never seen a single case where the woman is fired for being sexually harassed.

    Yet we see men fired for just about any complaint a woman makes like the game developers who were fired for making a dongle joke amongst themselves. The woman happened to overhear the joke and got them both fired.

    ridiculous. 

    https://youtu.be/Lug2S0HzY40
    magman1979watto_cobra
  • Reply 18 of 39
    hentaiboyhentaiboy Posts: 1,252member
    larz2112 said:

    Did you even read the article, or the comments, or were you too busy climbing on your soap box? I think your assumption of insensitivity and/or lack of empathy is somewhat presumptuous and misplaced. The article is in reference to a consensual relationship, not sexual harassment.
    I think YOU need to read the article again. The woman in question filed a complaint with the company.
    It’s Rubin’s “Spokesman” who claimed the relationship was consensual...
    ronn
  • Reply 19 of 39
    larz2112 said:
    spice-boy said:
    If there are any women reading these comments let me apologize for the men that can only imagine what it is like to be a man, lactk any empathy and think that when a boss or coworker makes sexual advances those being harassed should be flattered. Guys try for second to imagine being at the other end of unwanted sexual advances, and complaining can cost you your job, promotion or being black listed in your profession. If you can't perhaps Apple will develop an App using augmented reality which puts you in an office situation with a boss that makes sexual comments all day and is constantly grabbing at your crotch. 
    Did you even read the article, or the comments, or were you too busy climbing on your soap box? I think your assumption of insensitivity and/or lack of empathy is somewhat presumptuous and misplaced. The article is in reference to a consensual relationship, not sexual harassment. There is a BIG difference. I read through all of the comments and do not see any insensitivity toward sexual harassment. Most comments are in reference to a consensual relationship. If a workplace relationship is consensual and violates company policy, I feel both people involved are equally culpable and should receive equal consequences. If we want equality in the work place, we need to practice what we preach. 

    A few years back I was in a consensual relationship with someone I worked with. It was not against company policy, so there were no issues. But FYI, she was the one who made the advances and pursued the relationship. I'm sure the majority of the time that is not the case, but I think we need to remember that when it comes to consensual workplace relationships, it takes two to tango.
    Uh, not to belabor this constant talk of office sex, but I think the reason the guy got reprimanded is because he is a BOSS, you know? A superior to the other person?
    whether male or female, that is a lopsided relationship with power dynamics that are really bad for the other person and the department. That is all.
    john.bStrangeDaysronn
  • Reply 20 of 39
    calicali Posts: 3,494member
    larz2112 said:
    spice-boy said:
    If there are any women reading these comments let me apologize for the men that can only imagine what it is like to be a man, lactk any empathy and think that when a boss or coworker makes sexual advances those being harassed should be flattered. Guys try for second to imagine being at the other end of unwanted sexual advances, and complaining can cost you your job, promotion or being black listed in your profession. If you can't perhaps Apple will develop an App using augmented reality which puts you in an office situation with a boss that makes sexual comments all day and is constantly grabbing at your crotch. 
    Did you even read the article, or the comments, or were you too busy climbing on your soap box? I think your assumption of insensitivity and/or lack of empathy is somewhat presumptuous and misplaced. The article is in reference to a consensual relationship, not sexual harassment. There is a BIG difference. I read through all of the comments and do not see any insensitivity toward sexual harassment. Most comments are in reference to a consensual relationship. If a workplace relationship is consensual and violates company policy, I feel both people involved are equally culpable and should receive equal consequences. If we want equality in the work place, we need to practice what we preach. 

    A few years back I was in a consensual relationship with someone I worked with. It was not against company policy, so there were no issues. But FYI, she was the one who made the advances and pursued the relationship. I'm sure the majority of the time that is not the case, but I think we need to remember that when it comes to consensual workplace relationships, it takes two to tango.
    Those same words crossed my mind when I read his reply. Especially the “takes two to tango”. His comment is the perfect example of “men are guilty even if they’re innocent”. 

    And can you believe he got 5 likes for being off topic and bashing men?
    goes to show we have a long way to go for equality when men are afraid they’ll lose their jobs if they don’t like an anti-male comment. LOL

    I bet those likes were weak beta-males hoping it gets them laid or married men who have their wives hand wrapped around their fragile throats. 

    Someone here actually made the ridiculous comment saying “What woman would file a complaint against a man and have her character damaged” on a freaking article that damages the man’s character and doesn’t mention ANY females, at all! Literally only mentions the man. And you guessed it... it had a ton of likes. 

    It’s ridiculous. These people will say the opposite of the truth to not offend the women they worship. 
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