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Coinbase offers exit package for employees not comfortable with its mission

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Re: Coinbase offers exit package for employees not comfortable with its mission

#111

Post by kyrers »

ClumsyPilot wrote: post #89
kyrers wrote: post #58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In the blog post in which he explained Coinbase's mission, he specifically mentioned that: > Of course, employees should always feel free to advocate around issues of pay, conditions of employment, or violations of law, for instance. Now, if he really is trying to diminsh the possibility of that happening, I don't know.

"employees should always feel free to advocate around ... violations of law" So generous of him, he could have run it like a drug cartel.

Yeah, he would've been better off ending the sentence before that statement.

Re: Coinbase offers exit package for employees not comfortable with its mission

#112

Post by jeromegv »

gadders wrote: post #18
m12k wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

To be fair though, keeping politics completely out of any aspect of life becomes increasingly hard when things like science and the definition of "truth" are being politicized. A statement like "I believe the 99% of climate scientists that say climate change is man-made" shouldn't be considered a political statement, yet here we are.

You could... not talk about it at work?

In what world is your work not impacted by climate change? How you use energy, what supplier you use, your carbon impact, the raw materials you use to make your products, etc.. This is all part of it. Even if you don't believe in it, the fact that you don't believe in it while other companies do will impact you! You can't just ignore all those things and pretend they don't exist, as a business owner it's just entirely impossible to ignore it.

Re: Coinbase offers exit package for employees not comfortable with its mission

#113

Post by Zenbit_UX »

objclxt wrote: post #23

Brian Armstrong wants to have it both ways. He wants employees to focus “on the mission”, and not bring societal politics and activism into the workplace. Fair enough. For better or for worse, we live in a capitalist system, and companies are not first and foremost social justice organisations. I am not unsympathetic to the problems he is trying to solve. But he also wants to influence politics and laws to benefit hi…

He addressed the lobbying for crypto related issues in the plog post, something to the affect that we may engage in political lobbying when it relates strongly to our core mission.

That seems fair to me, lobbying for crypto and maybe even internet privacy laws wouldn't seem outside the mission to better his company but publicly declaring support for one candidate or another would. Likewise getting involved in a non-crypto centric mission like BLM would be quite far outside its mandate.

Re: Coinbase offers exit package for employees not comfortable with its mission

#114

Post by kyrers »

britch wrote: post #96
kyrers wrote: post #58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In the blog post in which he explained Coinbase's mission, he specifically mentioned that: > Of course, employees should always feel free to advocate around issues of pay, conditions of employment, or violations of law, for instance. Now, if he really is trying to diminsh the possibility of that happening, I don't know.

For what it's worth, Coinbase must "allow" those discussions by law in the US. In my mind, that's the kind of thing you say in a staement like this to protect yourself from a lawsuit. I doubt Coinbase thinks employees advocating around pay/conditions are desirable for the company.

> For what it's worth, Coinbase must "allow" those discussions by law in the US.

I'm not from the US, so thanks for pointing that out.

> For what it's worth, Coinbase must "allow" those discussions by law in the US.

I feel most companies think that this isn't desirable. However, as long as the complaints, and the complainers, are treated fairly, that's fine by me.

Re: Coinbase offers exit package for employees not comfortable with its mission

#115

Post by Gormisdomai »

mountainb wrote: post #103
Closi wrote: post #92

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As someone who works for a mostly apolitical organization - it depends on the issue. For example, the company refuses to take a stance on: - Brexit (even though it will negatively impact them) - Elections or any vote (even though again, this impacts them) But for example actively campaigns on: - Agricultural issues (It's in the food industry) The company VERY strongly supports LGBT rights and minority rights, and wil…

It's not true that "LGBT Rights" are value-free. Promoting LGBT rights also alienates members of the largest religious groups in the world, including those that are majority-non-European like Islam and Catholicism. Being a practicing L, G, B, or T or pro any of them is against sharia, the Catechism, and against the rules of many major Protestant sects like Mormons. Gay marriage is expressly against the rules of most…

Your high level point about universal tolerance stands - but you might like to challenge some of your object level assumptions about world religions and LGBT. Iranian theocratic leadership for example officially does not think that being trans is against sharia and the nation carries out more gender reassignment surgeries than any country except Thailand (not that their treatment of trans people is perfect by any means).

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transgender_rights_in_Iran

Re: Coinbase offers exit package for employees not comfortable with its mission

#116

Post by jcims »

jeromegv wrote: post #108
moduspol wrote: post #94

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Virtually every meaningful task humans have accomplished has been a result of groups of us putting aside our differences to unite and focus on solving the problem at hand.

??? Nice way to rewrite history. Would you say the civil rights movement was successful because it wanted to put aside differences? Or because they fought for their rights, their difference, and the privileged majority had to make concessions?

It's actually a perfect example. It's hard to imagine everyone fighting for civil rights was previously aligned on all fronts or agreed with everything that was done along the way.

Re: Coinbase offers exit package for employees not comfortable with its mission

#117

Post by moduspol »

jeromegv wrote: post #108
moduspol wrote: post #94

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Virtually every meaningful task humans have accomplished has been a result of groups of us putting aside our differences to unite and focus on solving the problem at hand.

??? Nice way to rewrite history. Would you say the civil rights movement was successful because it wanted to put aside differences? Or because they fought for their rights, their difference, and the privileged majority had to make concessions?

> Would you say the civil rights movement was successful because it wanted to put aside differences?

Absolutely. Everyone involved with the movement put aside their differences to focus on the same goal.

It would not have been as successful if everyone showing up for a rally was expected / coerced into supporting other political issues.

Re: Coinbase offers exit package for employees not comfortable with its mission

#118

Post by nemo44x »

kkhire wrote: post #81
ZephyrBlu wrote: post #3

I agreed with what Brian Armstrong said in his blog post and thought it was admirable to publicly take that position, but now I have even more respect for his dedication. I don't know if the severance package is good or not, but it seems generous and it gives employees who aren't aligned with the company an easy way out.

What’s there to admire? This is common sense and he should have set these expectations from the start. why are people discussing politics at work?

It’s generally a small but vocal group. And I wouldn’t call it politics so much as activism. A sort of religious zeal has made its way into our institutions like schools and universities. Some people have taken to it like a missionary would religion and believe it’s their duty to spread the word everywhere at all times. The Inquisition was no different in this regard.

You just have to read what the activism says. It says everything is racist, sexist, etc and that in every situation you must try and identify not if things were problematic but how they were. And then “do better”, etc. so it’s impossible for these people to separate their beliefs from their jobs.

It’s far beyond politics and more a religion than anything. It would be as if a very Christian employee made it their goal to point out everything that isn’t within Christian morality and protesting the company to comply with the word of god.

Re: Coinbase offers exit package for employees not comfortable with its mission

#119

Post by jcims »

demygale wrote: post #104
moduspol wrote: post #94

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Virtually every meaningful task humans have accomplished has been a result of groups of us putting aside our differences to unite and focus on solving the problem at hand.

What if the problem at hand is ending structural racism in the workplace?

>groups of us

not 'all of us'

Re: Coinbase offers exit package for employees not comfortable with its mission

#120

Post by Zenbit_UX »

Why is a company wanting to be apolitical is controversial? That should be the default, is this an American thing like how masks and healthcare are controversial?

I would expect a government to have proper separation from church and state, so why is it weird to want a company to separate politics and mission?

I can't see any good coming from being in a work environment where the company supports a political issue I'm strongly against, it would make co-workers and myself feel like opponents and likely make for a hostile work environment.

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