Uber CEO apologizes for company culture after harassment claims

SAN FRANCISCO (Feb 22): At a meeting open to all Uber Technologies Inc. employees on Tuesday, Travis Kalanick apologized for cultural failings at his company after a former employee alleged she was harassed and discriminated against while working there.

Alongside board member Arianna Huffington and Uber's head of human resources, Kalanick spoke at his ride-hailing company's San Francisco headquarters in a meeting that lasted for more than a hour, according to people who watched the event. Uber's chief executive officer, at times with tears in his eyes, apologized for a lack of diversity in the company's workforce and for not properly responding to employee complaints, while those in attendance lobbed tough, pointed questions, said the people, who asked not to be identified discussing internal matters. After a rough start to the year, employee morale is bleak, one of the people said.

"Travis spoke very honestly about the mistakes he’s made—and about how he wants to take the events of the last 48-hours to build a better Uber," Huffington wrote in a company blog post. "Change doesn’t usually happen without a catalyst. I hope that by taking the time to understand what’s gone wrong and fixing it we can not only make Uber better but also contribute to improvements for women across the industry."

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