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Woke at Work: Why tech firms are trying to run away from politics and failing

economist.com

471–480 of 1001 posts

Re: Woke at Work: Why tech firms are trying to run away from politics and failing

#471
post #434

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"racializing all facets of everyday life, including emojis" Every representation of humans is racialized, they exist in a social context where race exists. Pretending that it is not and then complaining when someone says, "hey, we maybe should make it so not everything looks like white folks" is just silly stuff. Emoji diversity is good and 100% harmless!!

> Every representation of humans is racialized, they exist in a social context where race exists This is only true as long as we go out of our way to make it true. The concept of “googly eyes” for example, is totally race agnostic. Likewise, emojis represent emotions that don’t inherently need to be coupled to race. Emojis aren’t even a new concept, we had emoticons in the ‘00s in AIM, where 99% of the emotions had n…

Then you use the yellow one, problem solved.

Re: Woke at Work: Why tech firms are trying to run away from politics and failing

#472

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> There is nothing to suggest the man acted improperly at work. We've had this discussion already, but claiming sexist views is going to be a problem for you whether you do it at work or elsewhere because of how laws around hostile work environments and notice work. Particularly, if you go on to actually create a hostile work environment (as one might reasonably suppose you will, having publicly espoused the relevant…

> claiming sexist views This is a pretty vague statement especially as OP mentioned fiction. Not some book espousing his political views. You can pick most of the great authors and find a character or scene that was obscene, but it would be unfair to cherry pick 2-3 sentences, post them on twitter and pretend this represented them.

We're talking about a particular person and a particular book -- Chaos Monkeys -- and it was non-fiction, and a memoir. Fiction I would imagine would be given more leeway, but I guess we'll have to see when it comes up.

Re: Woke at Work: Why tech firms are trying to run away from politics and failing

#473

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> The canonical point of a workplace is to come together to fulfill the aims of the entrepreneurs. I disagree. The notion that humans turn into employer-owned production machinery for 8 hours a day is one very particular way to conceptualize work. But it ignores both the individual as a whole person and the society that contains and enables the workplace to function. To me, even as a former and perhaps future entrepr…

I agree with your sentiment that we are more than replacable robots. But I think for a long time 'a whole person' referred to your character, your hobbies, your family, your quirks. And politics was a small, and usually private part of that. We are in a time now where politics is tribal and has usurped a huge part of people's identities. To the point they see the other tribe as the devil merely by association. And I…

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Re: Woke at Work: Why tech firms are trying to run away from politics and failing

#474

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Boards should have more apprehension about their companies being exploited as political platforms by employees. The ownership of these companies are the ones pushing these politics. Their employees are just pointing out their hypocrisy.

They are, and the reason for this was given in the GP: "It's as though there is a bargain" The board and executives know who weilds the stick. If it's the left that generally wants higher corporate taxes, more regulation, more anti-trust, and they control the media, then they're the ones that you want to appease as a bargain. Adopting wokeness is significantly cheaper than all the alternatives. The right mostly wants…

The right mostly wants companies to push the politics of their owners, ensuring that the payments keep flowing from the companies to the right wing leaders.

Re: Woke at Work: Why tech firms are trying to run away from politics and failing

#475

One part of the article: This is about a guy who wrote a book on his own time, published it outside of work. Someone did not like some parts of the book and the guy had to quit his job? There is nothing to suggest the man acted improperly at work. I write fictional stories in my spare time (never at work), I enjoy doing it. Some people enjoy reading them (I can't figure out why) It is a sad day for a Democracy when I…

> There is nothing to suggest the man acted improperly at work. We've had this discussion already, but claiming sexist views is going to be a problem for you whether you do it at work or elsewhere because of how laws around hostile work environments and notice work. Particularly, if you go on to actually create a hostile work environment (as one might reasonably suppose you will, having publicly espoused the relevant…

Do you have quotes that are sexist? The only quote I have seen in articles that is supposedly sexist is about Bay Area women.

Re: Woke at Work: Why tech firms are trying to run away from politics and failing

#476
post #321
post #185

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I agree 100%! Constitutional rights are a great example, those don’t stop when you enter the workplace and need to be protected 24/7. So no doubt you’ll be happy to sign my petition to further protect our 2nd amendment right to carry a concealed weapon at work! Yeah, right there, just sign. Oh you don’t support the constitution? When you said we should bring these fights to work you meant just the ones you support. O…

I'll be honest, I wouldn't care. The left as it seems you envision is not a monolith. But this is a good example! Gun policy (and the constitution itself) are legitimate political discussions that people can have without turning into a "fight." You can even educate or advocate either side in a civil way. You could even engage in advocacy for gun owners that get murdered by police, like Philando Castile.

Even if I support a cause I’d be annoyed if some coworker started asking me to sign a petition at work.

And where does it stop? Petitions to stop chemtrails?

Just keep that crap out of the workplace.

Re: Woke at Work: Why tech firms are trying to run away from politics and failing

#477
post #340

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Religion is a protected class. Why not politics? We either need to add more protected classes or do away with the whole concept and return to free association.

I’d remove religion. Adults choose their beliefs, both political and spiritual.

Beliefs aren't chosen, or at least they are very "sticky".

What you chose is how you let those beliefs inform your actions

Re: Woke at Work: Why tech firms are trying to run away from politics and failing

#478

A feature of US work culture is that you invest your “whole self” into work. As in work isn’t just a thing you do for money, but a calling... Additionally, there’s a lack of basic social services. Those that do well can carry guilt, this leads to USs tipping culture, among other things.. also in the US private companies wield a lot of political power and capital. Companies work in this context to attract talent. And…

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Re: Woke at Work: Why tech firms are trying to run away from politics and failing

#479

People are human. But work is work. The canonical point of a workplace is to come together to fulfill the aims of the entrepreneurs. The personal aims of the workers are fulfilled best outside of work. Just stop to think about it logically for a minute... is the workplace the best place to circulate a petition condemning something that has nothing to do with work? The workplace necessarily is going to bring together…

Society is a democracy. One where we as people provide labor for money. During contracted hours you belong to the company, sure. Outside that you are free to do as you please. Wait no, you were at an Antifa rally on the news outside office hours? Or cancelled on twitter? Or had a drug charge? Sorry, you're fired.

If you can't have your own life outside work without consequences, companies can't reasonably expect people to not bring their own life into work.

Just as how you conduct your life outside work can have a reputational effect on a company, your employer's actions have a reputational effect on you.

Re: Woke at Work: Why tech firms are trying to run away from politics and failing

#480

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> There is nothing to suggest the man acted improperly at work. We've had this discussion already, but claiming sexist views is going to be a problem for you whether you do it at work or elsewhere because of how laws around hostile work environments and notice work. Particularly, if you go on to actually create a hostile work environment (as one might reasonably suppose you will, having publicly espoused the relevant…

You would never be able to hire a felon for anything since on that theory, the felon had done something outside of work that being a criminal act, might scare someone at work who had to work around them, even though their behavior at work was perfect.

I think there are some types of felons that probably don't get hired as managers after release, no matter how long it's been since their crime. For exactly the reason we're discussing. Who in their right mind would put a man who had been convicted of rape in charge of women? How much potential liability would the company be taking on if he were to happen to harm one of his reports? It would be astronomical. Who would hire a convicted embezzler as a CFO? I mean I'm sure it happens but I can only imagine it's the exception rather than the rule.
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