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Update on an Employee Matter

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Re: Update on an Employee Matter

#71

Post by StanislavPetrov »

zaksoup wrote: post #27
bmiller2 wrote: post #13

Well they left all the juicy parts out Context: https://www.theverge.com/2021/1/15/22232766/github-employees... I can’t believe people talk like this on a work public channel.

I want to say: I don't talk as casually as this in a work channel, though I do sometimes discuss politics and current events. That's not because I don't think it's professional, but rather because I'm jewish and what happened to this employee feels like a very present threat. It is a well-documented fact that neo-nazi hate groups were a significant presence in the riot and preceding "protest" at the capital. Stating…

>It is a well-documented fact that neo-nazi hate groups were a significant presence in the riot and preceding "protest" at the capital.

Given the fact that some members of the mob were waving Israeli flags, your assertion is extremely dubious. The fact is that the mob was comprised of lunatics, fringe characters and contingents of all kinds, which has led to those with agendas to cherry pick from this hodgepodge to spin their own narratives.

https://www.middleeasteye.net/sites/default/files/2021-01/Is...

Re: Update on an Employee Matter

#72

Post by hh3k0 »

pjc50 wrote: post #16
chmod600 wrote: post #8

What was the improper reason for termination? I'm guessing that the employee had some distant political alignment with the insurrectionists, but not close enough to warrant disciplinary action?

The alleged reason was "using the word Nazi on Slack", in the context of "“stay safe homies, Nazis are about.”" in relation to the events of the 6th and afterwards.

> in the context of “stay safe homies, Nazis are about.”

He actually forgot a comma in that message. Maybe Grammar Nazis are about at GitHub?

Re: Update on an Employee Matter

#73

Post by bastawhiz »

surfer7837 wrote: post #25

I've just seen the screenshots from https://www.theverge.com/2021/1/15/22232766/github-employees... You just shouldn't be speaking like that in a company Slack channel. Politics should really not be discussed at work, and especially not in a public Slack channel. It's not the right place for it. It makes me not want to work there if they are discussing politics all day in a public Slack channel

Can you explain? On January 6 there was a man wearing a "Camp Auschwitz" hoodie with the word "staff" printed on the back, on national television. Do you believe this man is not a Nazi? And do you believe that Jewish people do not have a right to warn their coworkers to stay safe in light of people like this committing violent acts?

I'm genuinely curious to understand what part you believe is political here, because it seems like the employee's message was entirely based in easily verifiable fact and genuine concern.

Re: Update on an Employee Matter

#74

Post by chandra381 »

sydd wrote: post #54
hapless wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It wasn’t a joke. It was quite literal. Stay safe, fellow employees, there are literal goose stepping Nazis in the streets.

How do you know from this little context? People are so jumpy nowadays, which will lead just to misunderstandings and bad decisions/witch hunts.

I'm sorry - how does the OP know what? That there were nazis at the capitol? Because there literally were? I don't get what you're trying to prove with this comment

https://www.vice.com/en/article/93wnja/neo-nazis-boast-about...

Re: Update on an Employee Matter

#76

Post by kybernetyk »

BuildTheRobots wrote: post #37
you_are_naive wrote: post #22

I am afraid to ask this but can someone explain the "nazi joke" to me?

> "Nazis gave the Jews free healthcare" It's not a joke. I can only assume this is a reference to the abhorrent "medical" experiments the Nazis were doing on prisoners, Dr Death being one of the more famous proponents. The wikipedia article barely scratches the surface of the depravity: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nazi_human_experimentation

The third reich had free health care. Maybe he’s referring to that? The post is from 2016 and out of context so it might be from some discussion over health care costs.

Reading all this drama I’m glad that I don’t have to work for a living anymore. Looks like you wouldn’t get any work done over the constant drama. Very depressing.

Re: Update on an Employee Matter

#77

Post by blueplanet200 »

surfer7837 wrote: post #61
eat_veggies wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So a Jewish employee points out (factually!) that there are nazis at an armed attack on the capitol, and to be careful, and then gets fired for saying that. You call this "appalling from both sides?" I just have to laugh.

a public company Slack channel is not the right place for it

A public company just fired their head of HR, so I think they disagree with you here.

Re: Update on an Employee Matter

#78

Post by outside1234 »

loeg wrote: post #68
outside1234 wrote: post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Which part? It takes a lot to admit you were wrong, backstep to do the right thing, and then hold the responsible party accountable, so I'm missing the sad part.

The sad part is that companies wrong employees all the time but rarely admit wrongdoing, backstep in any way, or hold anyone accountable.

Ok - I will agree that that is sad - but that's not what happened here.

Re: Update on an Employee Matter

#79

Post by btown »

bmiller2 wrote: post #13

Well they left all the juicy parts out Context: https://www.theverge.com/2021/1/15/22232766/github-employees... I can’t believe people talk like this on a work public channel.

> I can't believe people talk like this on a work public channel.

Not sure if you're referring to the instance of the egregious anti-Semitic joke (CW for that link, btw), or to the bulk of the communications, but for any who feel the latter, that any conversation involving Nazism is improper, I'd consider a counterpoint:

We're in an industry where it's very easy for our work to be used for horrible things, where indeed there are historical examples of technology being used to accelerate the operations of genocide, and it's not only appropriate but essential that the employees of companies be allowed to call out fascism, and express their fear and dismay of Nazis, to colleagues whenever they see it, regardless of whether it is immediately linked to a product initiative.

The comment that states "you dont see 'commie' being dropped in the workplace nor should 'nazi,' it's just slandering" is the false equivalency of the century, and if we can't distinguish between words that over-simplify a political ideology, vs. words that concisely warn colleagues that something is going beyond political ideology and towards a pattern of racially-motivated behavior that places people in grave danger, we haven't learned our lessons from history.

Re: Update on an Employee Matter

#80

Post by [deleted] »

sydd wrote: post #54
hapless wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It wasn’t a joke. It was quite literal. Stay safe, fellow employees, there are literal goose stepping Nazis in the streets.

How do you know from this little context? People are so jumpy nowadays, which will lead just to misunderstandings and bad decisions/witch hunts.

[deleted]
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