Tech

Uber employees visited karaoke-escort bar in Seoul, which led to HR complaint, says report

Uber under fire, yet again
VIDEO0:3500:35
Uber under fire, yet again

Several employees at Uber, including CEO Travis Kalanick, visited a karaoke bar known for offering escort services on a trip to Seoul, South Korea, three years ago, according a report in The Information.

A female Uber employee who was with the group expressed her discomfort with the situation, and later complained to the company's human resources chief about the outing, according to the report. The incident was told to The Information by Gabi Holzwarth, Kalanick's former girlfriend, who was also at the bar.

At the bar, women employed as escorts wore numbers and the employees would call the number of the woman they wanted to sit with, according to The Information. Holzwarth says she left with Kalanick after about an hour, according to The Information report. No allegations of any illegal behavior have been made.

A spokeswoman for Uber told The Information: "This all happened nearly three years ago. It was previously reported to human resources and in early March was referred to Tammy Albarran and Eric Holder," who are leading an investigation into Uber's workplace culture.

Uber in crisis mode
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Uber in crisis mode

Read the entire report in The Information here (subscription needed).