Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Google Doesn’t Want Staff Debating Politics at Work Anymore

bloomberg.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

71–80 of 1001 posts

Re: Google Doesn’t Want Staff Debating Politics at Work Anymore

#71

Post by sp332 »

zarkov99 wrote: post #63
taurath wrote: post #17

Why shouldn’t employees of the company with the goal of organizing all the worlds information debate politics? Everything is political. Especially information.

Because political discussions are incredibly polarizing, specially these days, and once they are allowed they pulverize the company into factions that cannot work together until the more strident or powerful of these factions takes over and pushes everybody else out or into silence. And when this happens, you have an homogeneous political body as the gatekeeper to the worlds information. What could go wrong?

So the key to a diverse organization is not talking about politics? Seems unlikely.

Re: Google Doesn’t Want Staff Debating Politics at Work Anymore

#72

Post by TheCapn »

arcticbull wrote: post #30
BurningFrog wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Because they have work to do. That's why they're there.

Their job is to create a forum for others to debate, and to try and maintain neutrality. Their own politics aren't necessarily relevant. Everyone wants to be able to have their political opinions, try and convince others, and not get fired. It's kind of a pick-2 situation. Feel free to bring politics in with ya so long as you embrace the philosophy that you can say anything you want on your last day.

>Everyone wants to be able to have their political opinions, try and convince others, and not get fired.

In fact, many people do not want to try and have others convince them of their political leanings.

Re: Google Doesn’t Want Staff Debating Politics at Work Anymore

#73

Post by gtirloni »

webwielder2 wrote: post #59

It's funny how we pigeonhole "things that actually matter" as "politics" and that those things are somehow taboo. I mean, what's MORE worth talking about than human rights, the environment, history, etc.?

At work? A lot of other things.

Re: Google Doesn’t Want Staff Debating Politics at Work Anymore

#74

Post by michaelt »

doitLP wrote: post #40
arcticbull wrote: post #20

I think they just overestimated the ability of their employees to respect each other when they hold differing world views. That's kinda natural once you reach a certain size and your colleagues may as well be randos on the street. To be fair, that's a learning most businesses stumbled upon decades ago, it's the new generation of "re-invent management" companies that are speedrunning HR policy.

I think they overestimated just how willing certain people are to not do their jobs and sit around arguing while being paid.

If timewasting was the problem, wouldn't they be clamping down on all unproductive conversation, not merely the political?

I mean, wasting 10 minutes is wasting 10 minutes, whether I'm talking about politics or football or TV.

Re: Google Doesn’t Want Staff Debating Politics at Work Anymore

#76

Post by nafey »

webwielder2 wrote: post #59

It's funny how we pigeonhole "things that actually matter" as "politics" and that those things are somehow taboo. I mean, what's MORE worth talking about than human rights, the environment, history, etc.?

What I believe Google would say: "Closing your JIRA ticket"

Re: Google Doesn’t Want Staff Debating Politics at Work Anymore

#77

Post by jonas21 »

kranner wrote: post #26
scarface74 wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In most professional settings, it’s considered a norm not to talk about sex, politics, and religion unless your business is dealing with one of those areas specifically.

But do most professional settings go to this extent to police their employees: > creating a team of moderators to monitor conversations on company chat boards

Most professional settings would not have permitted these company chat boards in the first place.

Re: Google Doesn’t Want Staff Debating Politics at Work Anymore

#78

Post by bsamuels »

taneq wrote: post #35
arcticbull wrote: post #20

I think they just overestimated the ability of their employees to respect each other when they hold differing world views. That's kinda natural once you reach a certain size and your colleagues may as well be randos on the street. To be fair, that's a learning most businesses stumbled upon decades ago, it's the new generation of "re-invent management" companies that are speedrunning HR policy.

Time to re-read "I can tolerate anybody except my out-group."

That article is all I can think about whenever these political problems come up at Google. Here's a link for anyone interested: https://slatestarcodex.com/2014/09/30/i-can-tolerate-anythin...

I don't recommend reading it unless you can tackle the entire thing though

Re: Google Doesn’t Want Staff Debating Politics at Work Anymore

#79

Post by defertoreptar »

taurath wrote: post #17

Why shouldn’t employees of the company with the goal of organizing all the worlds information debate politics? Everything is political. Especially information.

If all the discussion stayed within the confines of the company and away from headlines, and they never generated lawsuits, and HR never had to hear employees complain about how such and such had an argument with such and such, then I doubt anyone would mind.

It doesn't matter what the philosophically correct definition of politics is--what matters is reducing HR complaints, lawsuits, and negative headlines.

Post reply on HN