An employee at Google who helped organise walkouts in protest at claims of sexual harassment has quit, saying she was given a “scarlet letter” and has been punished for standing up to the company.

Claire Stapleton, a former marketing manager at Google who has spent years working for the tech giant, says she made the decision to leave after it became difficult to do her job.

“I made the choice after the heads of my department branded me with a kind of scarlet letter that makes it difficult to do my job or find another one,” Ms Stapleton wrote in a note shared internally and published in an open letter on Medium.

“If I stayed, I didn’t just worry that there’d be more public flogging, shunning, and stress, I expected it.”

The walkout, which Stapleton played a leading role in organising, took place in November last year.

Google staff stage walkout over handling of sexual misconduct Show all 15 1 /15 Google staff stage walkout over handling of sexual misconduct Google staff stage walkout over handling of sexual misconduct New York, US Google employees hold signs outside 14th street park after walking out as part of a global protest over claims of sexual harassment, gender inequality and systemic racism at the tech giant Reuters Google staff stage walkout over handling of sexual misconduct Dublin, Ireland Google employees at its European headquarters in Dublin, Ireland, join others from around the world PA Google staff stage walkout over handling of sexual misconduct London, Britain Google staff stage a walkout at the company's UK headquarters in London AFP/Getty Google staff stage walkout over handling of sexual misconduct New York, US A workers holds a sign outside 14th street park after walking out as part of a global protest over workplace issues in New York, U.S., November 1, 2018. REUTERS/Jeenah Moon JEENAH MOON Reuters Google staff stage walkout over handling of sexual misconduct Zurich, Switzerland People gather next to the Google office to attend the Google Walkout in Zurich Googlewalkout/Tedonprivacy/Twitter/Reuters Google staff stage walkout over handling of sexual misconduct New York, US Google employees stage a walkout on November 1, 2018, in New York, over sexual harassment. - A Google Walkout For Real Change account that sprang up on Twitter on October 31 called for employees and contractors to leave their workplaces at 11:10am local time around the world on Thursday. Tension has been growing over how the US-based tech giant handles sexual harassment claims. (Photo by Bryan R. Smith / AFP)BRYAN R. SMITH/AFP/Getty Images BRYAN R. SMITH AFP/Getty Google staff stage walkout over handling of sexual misconduct Dublin, Ireland Google employees at its European headquarters in Dublin, Ireland, join others from around the world walking out of their offices in protest over claims of sexual harassment, gender inequality and systemic racism at the tech giant. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Thursday November 1, 2018. See PA story TECHNOLOGY Google. Photo credit should read: Niall Carson/PA Wire Niall Carson PA Google staff stage walkout over handling of sexual misconduct New York, US Google employees stage a walkout on November 1, 2018, in New York, over sexual harassment. - A Google Walkout For Real Change account that sprang up on Twitter on October 31 called for employees and contractors to leave their workplaces at 11:10am local time around the world on Thursday. Tension has been growing over how the US-based tech giant handles sexual harassment claims. (Photo by Bryan R. Smith / AFP)BRYAN R. SMITH/AFP/Getty Images BRYAN R. SMITH Getty Google staff stage walkout over handling of sexual misconduct Dublin, Ireland Workers stand outside Google's European headquarters after walking out as part of a global protest over workplace issues, in Dublin, Ireland, November 1, 2018. REUTERS/Clodagh Kilcoyne CLODAGH KILCOYNE Reuters Google staff stage walkout over handling of sexual misconduct New York, US A worker holds a sign outside the Google offices after walking out as part of a global protest over workplace issues, in New York, U.S., November 1, 2018. REUTERS/Jeenah Moon JEENAH MOON Reuters Google staff stage walkout over handling of sexual misconduct Dublin, Ireland Workers stand outside the Google offices after walking out as part of a global protest over workplace issues in Dublin, Ireland, November 1, 2018. REUTERS/Clodagh Kilcoyne CLODAGH KILCOYNE Reuters Google staff stage walkout over handling of sexual misconduct New York, US Workers stand outside 14th street park after walking out as part of a global protest over workplace issues in New York, U.S., November 1, 2018. REUTERS/Jeenah Moon JEENAH MOON Reuters Google staff stage walkout over handling of sexual misconduct Dublin, Ireland A man wearing a Google slogan T-shirt hands out doughnuts to workers standing outside Google's European headquarters Reuters Google staff stage walkout over handling of sexual misconduct New York, US Workers leave outside 14th street park after walking out as part of a global protest over workplace issues in New York, U.S., November 1, 2018. REUTERS/Jeenah Moon JEENAH MOON Reuters Google staff stage walkout over handling of sexual misconduct London, Britain Google staff stage a walkout at the company's UK headquarters in London AFP/Getty

Hundreds of members of Google staff, such as engineers and other workers, from offices all over the world, stopped working for a day in protest at the company’s overly lenient treatment of executives accused of abusive behaviour.

The protest, billed “Walkout For Real Change”, took place a week after a New York Times story detailed allegations of sexual misconduct about Andy Rubin, who worked at the company and created its Android software.

The report said Rubin received a £69m severance package in 2014, even though Google concluded the sexual misconduct allegations that he forced a female employee to perform oral sex on him were credible.

“It was the way that management answered questions about the Andy Rubin payout – the sidestepping, the jokes, the total lack of accountability – that inspired me to call for the walkout,” Ms Stapleton said in her letter.

“These past few months have been unbearably stressful and confusing,” she said. “It pains me greatly to leave.”

Her decision comes during a difficult week for Google. House Democrats have announced a sweeping investigation into the company, alongside other tech giants such as Facebook and Amazon, to decide whether it has become so large and powerful that it is stifling innovation in the industry.