Google fires more workers after CEO says workplace isn’t for politics • Hacker News Board

Re: Google fires more workers after CEO says workplace isn’t for politics

#21

Post by jerojero » Tue, Apr 23, 2024, 4:54 PM UTC

Well I'm pretty sure the people protesting were aware this could be the outcome.

So in that regard, I think it's very admirable for them to put their convictions over money. From the outside, I agree with their opinion. But then again, money screams and people talk.

I feel like a lot of people in tech tend to be very much "not interested" when it comes to politics, even though tech and particularly these big companies are so involved in what goes around in the world. But I get it, when you're being paid 250k+ a year you get to live a really comfortable life; upsetting the status quo is difficult.

But yeah, I wish these people received more support from their peers than they do. Rather than people thinking we shouldn't "bring politics into the workspace" when the decisions being made in our workspaces are making deals with a government that is currently committing genocide.

Re: Google fires more workers after CEO says workplace isn’t for politics

#22

Post by waihtis » Tue, Apr 23, 2024, 4:54 PM UTC

jsiepkes wrote: post #5

Sure, if all it takes is raising a rainbow flag on top of the building and some words of the CEO they are all for it. But as soon as Google's bottom line is involved they behave pretty predictable.

Id be very happy if corporations stopped participating in any kind of politics altogether, including human rights discourse.

Re: Google fires more workers after CEO says workplace isn’t for politics

#23

Post by trvz » Tue, Apr 23, 2024, 4:54 PM UTC

KenArrari wrote: post #7

bell-cot wrote: post #3

Rule #2: If the customer is...

Personally if my customer was using my services to figure out the optimal time to kill someone in a way that also kills their family, and my employees were collectively protesting that, I would just decline their money.

Sarcastic thought: with Google Cloud being an order of magnitude more expensive than dedicated servers Israel will end up killing fewer people for the same money. It's not like they couldn't buy servers elsewhere, so in a twisted way this could be a humane move by Google.

Re: Google fires more workers after CEO says workplace isn’t for politics

#24

Post by SadCordDrone » Tue, Apr 23, 2024, 4:54 PM UTC

2OEH8eoCRo0 wrote: post #6

Good. You're there to work. It also feels uniquely selfish. "I love the money but I still want to protest!" If you feel so strongly then quit but that would require sacrifice.

This is very logical, albeit sounding rude. I think the parent commenter should not be downvoted for this.

If you cant come to terms with what your employer is doing, it's in the right of the either party to terminate the contract.

Morality is a subjective argument and non-sequiter here anyway.

Re: Google fires more workers after CEO says workplace isn’t for politics

#25

Post by 2OEH8eoCRo0 » Tue, Apr 23, 2024, 4:55 PM UTC

lexicality wrote: post #19

2OEH8eoCRo0 wrote: post #6

Good. You're there to work. It also feels uniquely selfish. "I love the money but I still want to protest!" If you feel so strongly then quit but that would require sacrifice.

Do you think companies listen to and take on board feedback from exit interviews?

It's egotistical and selfish to speak for and expect such a large company to change for their minority opinions. You can't control Google but you can control yourself.

Re: Google fires more workers after CEO says workplace isn’t for politics

#26

Post by exe34 » Tue, Apr 23, 2024, 4:55 PM UTC

jseaidou wrote: post #17

nailer wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

[flagged]

[flagged]

What does open air prison mean in this context? Would you like to comment why the family of the first minister of Scotland decided it was safe enough to go on holiday in this "open air prison"? Is it common for "inmates" from "open air prisons" to go and work in the neighbouring country while their fellow "inmates" want to wipe out this neighbouring country? Is it common for "inmates" from "open air prisons" to invade their neighbouring countries and murder, rape, burn and drag hostages back to hide in the homes of "innocent civilians" and under schools and hospitals?

Can you think of anything that happened around 2006 that might have made the neighbours not want an open border with this "open air prison"?

Re: Google fires more workers after CEO says workplace isn’t for politics

#27

Post by Spivak » Tue, Apr 23, 2024, 4:55 PM UTC

gedy wrote: post #18

Honestly why I like WFH - I can stay away from people who "bring their whole selves" to the office, while I just need a job. (I'm not at Google)

Well to be fair I imagine your workplace isn't also wading into a contentious geopolitical conflict with billions of dollars. I don't think I would ever protest in the manner described at my job but I would probably quit over it. If you want your employees to stay out of politics then you should probably lead by example.

Re: Google fires more workers after CEO says workplace isn’t for politics

#28

Post by JumpCrisscross » Tue, Apr 23, 2024, 4:56 PM UTC

sonofaplum wrote: post #16

2OEH8eoCRo0 wrote: post #6

Good. You're there to work. It also feels uniquely selfish. "I love the money but I still want to protest!" If you feel so strongly then quit but that would require sacrifice.

If your goal is to change the companies behavior, then protesting and getting fired and getting a WaPo story is more effective than resigning in protest.

> protesting and getting fired and getting a WaPo story is more effective than resigning in protest

Idk, these guys looked unplanned and childish, which lightens the credibility of their claims. They went zero to occupying an executive’s office—there wasn’t even a petition stage. That’s not the kind of escalation anyone wants precedent for, because if you provide it you’d better be ready to make space for a perpetual environmental and MAGA lobby in every leader’s workspace.

And while the PR impact of this hasn’t been negligible, it’s also been light. Outside HN it hasn’t really registered.

Re: Google fires more workers after CEO says workplace isn’t for politics

#29

Post by mightyham » Tue, Apr 23, 2024, 4:56 PM UTC

nailer wrote: post #13

jsiepkes wrote: post #5

Sure, if all it takes is raising a rainbow flag on top of the building and some words of the CEO they are all for it. But as soon as Google's bottom line is involved they behave pretty predictable.

[flagged]

Are you not aware of the Nakba or Israel using banned weapons on civilians for decades? I'm not saying hamas' actions are justified but there is no side in this conflict that can confidently claim moral superiority.

Re: Google fires more workers after CEO says workplace isn’t for politics

#30

Post by dijit » Tue, Apr 23, 2024, 4:56 PM UTC

jsiepkes wrote: post #5

Sure, if all it takes is raising a rainbow flag on top of the building and some words of the CEO they are all for it. But as soon as Google's bottom line is involved they behave pretty predictable.

I hope I'm not considered a troll for asking this question; I will ask on my main account and hopefully people will check my comment history to understand I am not intending to be belligerent or intentionally dumb.

But why is it that rainbow flags (pride, et al) are considered the pro-Palestinian side in the conflict.

I might be old but I distinctly remember a humanitarian outcry in the 00's because Palestinians were murdering not only Jews and Christians but also homosexuals[0].

I'm not sure of the Israeli stance to be perfectly honest, but it's surprising to me that the only time I had ever heard of LGBTQ+ rights with relation to the Palestinian people it has been with a strikingly deadly tone, yet it seems that in the US the political divide has fallen such that LGBTQ+ people are almost forced to ally with Palestine.

I'm genuinely curious how this happened.

caveat: I'm not interested in emotional responses, if you feel emotional reading this then please just ignore the comment completely, I am not inviting a flame war, this is genuine ignorance and curiousity.

[0]: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/E-5-2003-1346_...

EDIT: Added a citation for my apparently outlandish statement.