Probe Into Bill Gates' Relationship With Microsoft Employee Reportedly Inspires New Sexual Harassment Policies At Tech Giant

Microsoft Corporation MSFT is reportedly set to adopt new policies in the wake of sexual harassment allegations at the tech giant — including those against its co-founder Bill Gates.

What Happened: The company will go ahead with the adoption after recommendations were made by a law firm Microsoft hired to review its practices.

ArentFox Schiff LLP made 11 recommendations in a 50-page report reportedly released Tuesday, according to a Microsoft blog post. 

Microsoft said the "conflicts of interest" policy at the company will be revised and process put into motion for disclosure of "certain consensual relationships."

The human resources and legal of the company will implement the recommendations by Dec. 31, 2022.

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Why It Matters: ArentFox said in its report that it was engaged by Microsoft in January 2022 to undertake the "effectiveness of workplace sexual harassment and gender discrimination policies."

It was reported in May 2021 that an investigation into a romantic relationship with an engineer at Microsoft was the reason why board members decided that Gates should resign as a company director.

The relationship came to the fore in 2019 after Microsoft received a "concern" that Gates sought to initiate an intimate relationship with the employee in 2000.

At the time, the Board committee conducted an investigation with the aid of an external law firm. Gates was CEO of Microsoft until 2000. 

In May last year, Gates and his wife Melinda ended their 27 years of married life. The following year Melinda expressed disapproval of her former husband's meetings with disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein. 

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