Reddit's CEO Allegedly Fired a Worker for Not Recovering from Cancer Fast Enough • Hacker News Board

Re: Reddit's CEO Allegedly Fired a Worker for Not Recovering from Cancer Fast Enough

#41

Post by yawaramin » Sat, Jul 04, 2015, 2:54 AM UTC

heimatau wrote: post #23

forgotpasswd3x wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Nobody is making you click on the submission or view the comments. If this isn't what you want to see on HN, then vote or flag the article, as usual.

True but I wanted to voice my opinion regarding the submission and the potential dramatic nature that HN could get 'caught up in'. I've been going to HN for about two years now only been a member for a short bit. I want to make my vote. That is all and hopefully communicate with others about it. For the record, I didn't down vote nor flag this but it seems enough of the community did therefore it fell off the front p…

A downvote is the voice of your opinion. If you don't have the ability to downvote, well, that should tell you something about whether HN wants your opinion.

Re: Reddit's CEO Allegedly Fired a Worker for Not Recovering from Cancer Fast Enough

#42

Post by iofj » Sat, Jul 04, 2015, 4:26 AM UTC

dragonwriter wrote: post #4

claudiug wrote: post #3

is possible in USA to get fired with no procedures, or not getting any money?

Yes. Most of the US is employment-at-will by default, which means that you can legally be fired without cause, notice, or compensation other than that due based on work prior to the moment of termination. (Now, there are still reasons for which it is illegal to fire people, and, in part to avoid disputes over whether one of those were involved -- and, on the procedural end, in part to actually work to resolve issues…

It baffles me that it is legal to offer somebody anything "contingent on an agreement not to sue". How are disputes resolved ? Especially in this case there is almost a guarantee of a dispute, isn't there.

How would an employer defend that this agreement wasn't made under duress ? That both sides were equal partners in the negotiation about such a contract ?

I'd think the right to sue about anything is the most fundamental of the inalienable rights, because without it, the other rights wouldn't effectively exist.

Re: Reddit's CEO Allegedly Fired a Worker for Not Recovering from Cancer Fast Enough

#43

Post by studentrob » Sat, Jul 04, 2015, 4:44 AM UTC

yawaramin wrote: post #41

heimatau wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

True but I wanted to voice my opinion regarding the submission and the potential dramatic nature that HN could get 'caught up in'. I've been going to HN for about two years now only been a member for a short bit. I want to make my vote. That is all and hopefully communicate with others about it. For the record, I didn't down vote nor flag this but it seems enough of the community did therefore it fell off the front p…

A downvote is the voice of your opinion. If you don't have the ability to downvote, well, that should tell you something about whether HN wants your opinion.

Speaking of the ability to downvote, I've been here over five years and don't have that (@ 81 points). I realize this is correctable and it's on me to comment more, but your comment made me want to add..

I do not participate often because I do not have the ability to contribute my opinion when I want to downvote, and then I get turned off from the discussion thread. Voting is an easy way to keep comment sections concise while allowing everyone to participate. I appreciate concise threads because I'm an engineer and don't want to spend all day rereading the same thoughts in different voices. In short, I want to downvote, I can't, and then I just stop reading and close the thread.

I would be happy if I could just push the down arrow and have it contribute, say, negative .2 points, or some amount scaled according to my current points status.

I doubt anyone cares enough about users on HN to make such a change, but maybe someone will see this and incorporate it on some future comments board. Thanks for reading.

Re: Reddit's CEO Allegedly Fired a Worker for Not Recovering from Cancer Fast Enough

#44

Post by CyberDildonics » Sat, Jul 04, 2015, 4:46 AM UTC

iofj wrote: post #42

dragonwriter wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes. Most of the US is employment-at-will by default, which means that you can legally be fired without cause, notice, or compensation other than that due based on work prior to the moment of termination. (Now, there are still reasons for which it is illegal to fire people, and, in part to avoid disputes over whether one of those were involved -- and, on the procedural end, in part to actually work to resolve issues…

It baffles me that it is legal to offer somebody anything "contingent on an agreement not to sue". How are disputes resolved ? Especially in this case there is almost a guarantee of a dispute, isn't there. How would an employer defend that this agreement wasn't made under duress ? That both sides were equal partners in the negotiation about such a contract ? I'd think the right to sue about anything is the most funda…

When leaving a company they can't make you sign something, because no one can make you sign something.

But of course they can give something in exchange for signing something. You can think of it as a mini settlement.

I don't think it is great, because many people will just sign things thinking they have no choice, and the timing and mechanics of how these things happen are often used against people.

I've had exit contracts given to me. They were full of things that benefited the company and had nothing that benefited me. I said 'There's no benefit to me signing this, what do I get if I do?' They didn't offer me anything, so I didn't sign.

Re: Reddit's CEO Allegedly Fired a Worker for Not Recovering from Cancer Fast Enough

#45

Post by sixQuarks » Sat, Jul 04, 2015, 5:49 PM UTC

bane wrote: post #15

rhino369 wrote: post #10

Pao needs to be replaced. Whether the hate the community at reddit has is justified, it does exist. The company is begging for a reddit clone to pop up and steal the users.

Her optics at this point are terrible . - CEO of a community-based site where the community doesn't like her (to put it nicely) - Lost a very public lawsuit against a previous employer that revealed quite a bit about her personal and work habits -- and it wasn't exactly glowing, often downright damning. - Tried to recoup legal costs for the lawsuit she started and lost - Was ordered to pay legal costs to her former e…

You forgot to include the fact that she doesn't know how Reddit works. She is not a reddit user, this is the worst kind of leader.