4 ms·

A Google employee is suing the company for being too confidential

31 points by Jerry2 10y ago

plandis 10y ago
That sounds horrible. If it's true. Either way, once companies know this employees name the employee is probably never going to be able to work at a big company in the industry again.
dpark 10y ago
> The suit alleges a Google co-founder — it does not name either Larry Page or Sergey Brin — reiterated at a company all-hands meeting that anyone who leaks confidential info would be terminated. Truly, it's shocking that Google would terminate an employee for leaking confidential data. I've never heard something so absurd. Next you'll tell me that they'll fire you for punching the CEO.
- chetanahuja 10y ago
  I've never heard something so absurd. Next you'll tell me that they'll fire you for punching the CEO. Great sarcasm but the problem lies here: The lawsuit says that Google’s Code of Conduct classifies confidential information as “everything at Google.” So potentially if I disclosed today's menu at Charlie's cafe to an outsider, I could be terminated.
  - jgalt212 10y ago
    Very true, and there probably should be some case law on what truly constitutes confidential information in the employment law sense. So while, the lunch menu may be non-public information it does not constitute confidential information whose release could lead to employment termination. Those familiar with the law put all sorts of unenforceable stuff in contracts in the hopes that the less informed will comply with stuff they really don't need to comply with.
  - dpark 10y ago
    As jgalt212 noted, putting something into a document doesn't make it enforceable. However, I think if Google wants to fire you for revealing the menu, that's actually well within their rights. Most Google employees in the US are At Will and can be fired for almost any reason. Moreover, they have this right regardless of whether it's written down.
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greenyoda 10y ago
Extensive discussion yesterday: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=13226525 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=13226525

31 points by Jerry2 10y ago

That sounds horrible. If it's true. Either way, once companies know this employees name the employee is probably never going to be able to work at a big company in the industry again.

dpark 10y ago

> The suit alleges a Google co-founder — it does not name either Larry Page or Sergey Brin — reiterated at a company all-hands meeting that anyone who leaks confidential info would be terminated. Truly, it's shocking that Google would terminate an employee for leaking confidential data. I've never heard something so absurd. Next you'll tell me that they'll fire you for punching the CEO.

chetanahuja 10y ago
I've never heard something so absurd. Next you'll tell me that they'll fire you for punching the CEO. Great sarcasm but the problem lies here: The lawsuit says that Google’s Code of Conduct classifies confidential information as “everything at Google.” So potentially if I disclosed today's menu at Charlie's cafe to an outsider, I could be terminated.
- jgalt212 10y ago
  Very true, and there probably should be some case law on what truly constitutes confidential information in the employment law sense. So while, the lunch menu may be non-public information it does not constitute confidential information whose release could lead to employment termination. Those familiar with the law put all sorts of unenforceable stuff in contracts in the hopes that the less informed will comply with stuff they really don't need to comply with.
- dpark 10y ago
  As jgalt212 noted, putting something into a document doesn't make it enforceable. However, I think if Google wants to fire you for revealing the menu, that's actually well within their rights. Most Google employees in the US are At Will and can be fired for almost any reason. Moreover, they have this right regardless of whether it's written down.
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greenyoda 10y ago

Extensive discussion yesterday: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=13226525 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=13226525