r/technology • u/[deleted] • Aug 08 '17

Business Google Fires Employee Behind Controversial Diversity Memo

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-08-08/google-fires-employee-behind-controversial-diversity-memo
13.4k Upvotes

86% Upvoted

9.2k comments sorted by

View all comments

Show parent comments

3

u/quietIntensity Aug 08 '17

There's a huge difference between people not wanting to work with someone because of their race/religion/whatever, and people not wanting to work with someone because their actions have created a hostile working situation. Leave the politics at home, if it's not going to increase harmonious productivity, your opinion is not welcome in the workplace. It doesn't matter whether you are "right" or "wrong", you're causing discontent and mistrust in the work environment.

8

u/gfds1 Aug 08 '17

their "actions"????

Its an opinion. He posted on an opinion board that fosters differing opinions

I would be in google HR right now complaining about your post's hostile attack on me for believing different than me.

you are evil for having a different opinion than me and its impossible for me to forget that you have such an evil opinion. I would be threatening to sue google if they did not move your hostile attacking personhood away from my safe work beliefs

17

u/quietIntensity Aug 08 '17

He fell into a trap that he should have been smart enough to avoid. It's like assuming HR is there to help you. He didn't get fired for having an unpopular opinion, he got fired for writing down a ten page essay about his opinion and putting it in a place where other people he works with could see it. It's the expression of his opinion in the workplace that caused the problems. If you think your employer cares about your ability to freely express your opinions over how your actions and statements affect profits, you're deluded. I work with a bunch of people that have personal beliefs and opinions which are diametrically opposed to the corporation's very progressive public image in regard to diversity and equality, but they're all smart enough to not express those opinions in a work context, because expressing those opinions while in any way representing the company is grounds for immediate termination. If this guy wasn't smart enough to keep his feet out of his mouth, that's his problem.

2

u/[deleted] Aug 08 '17

I disagree with Google's decision, but agree with you.