Since the #DeleteUber campaign went viral, the company’s CEO Travis Kalanick has been in the middle of a controversy with the enterprise and not to mention a tragic boating accident that occurred last month with this mother, the CEO of Uber is having a tough time.
Now, the CEO of Uber has told his time he will take time off for an unspecified amount of time.
According to reports, Kalanick told his team that, “During this interim period, the leadership team, my directs, will be running the company. I will be available as needed for the most strategic decisions, but I will be empowering them to be bold and decisive in order to move the company forward swiftly. It’s hard to put a timeline on this – it may be shorter or longer than we might expect.”
This news comes after former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder conducted an investigation into the company’s ethics and leadership issues, including sexual harassment and discrimination. Following the report, Holder suggested that when Kalanick returns, he should take a smaller role in the company. “Some of the responsibilities that Mr. Kalanick has historically possessed should be shared or given outright to other members of senior management,” the report outline said.
Moreover, Uber’s board of directors has also voted to adopt all of Holder’s recommendations, which the company shared with employees and public.
Uber conducted an internal investigation following allegations made by a former Uber engineer Susan Fowler, including that an Uber employee discriminated her based on her gender and the company ignored her repeated complaints of sexual harassment caused by her supervisor because he was a “high performer.”
Ultimately, the investigation illustrates Uber is focused on creating an internal change that will make it a more inclusive workplace environment.
So when will Kalanick be back? In his letter to his team, the CEO of Uber explains he will focus on his family and “Uber 2.0 real so that the world can see the inspired work all of you do, and the inspiring people that make Uber great.”