4 ms·

> Baker was seen "making out" at an internal Uber event held in Miami three years ago, which was seen by some employees. There was no suggestion of any sexual h

by pdog 10y ago

> Baker was seen "making out" at an internal Uber event held in Miami three years ago, which was seen by some employees. There was no suggestion of any sexual harassment on his part and the encounter was apparently consensual. Is that it? I was expecting something a little more scandalous.

jacquesm 10y ago
Whether it is a problem or not depends on what the relationship was between the two people in the org chart.
- e40 10y ago
  I cannot imagine being a VP and engaging in this behavior, even if the person was under another VP. It's extremely unprofessional.
  - obstinate 10y ago
    On so many levels. I don't think making out with someone at a company event is OK, period. Even less if they also work at the company. Even less if they're your report. Even less if you're powerful within the company (i.e. a tone-setter). To be clear, the reason it's not OK is that a professional context should not also be a sexual context. It's not about protecting the person you're making out with. It's about everyone else. This is the same reason that excessive PDA in the workplace can be sexual harassment of other employees, even if both parties to the PDA are consenting.
  - jacquesm 10y ago
    There's a line between 'unprofessional' and 'illegal'. The org chart will tell you the difference.
    - exolymph 10y ago
      It's not illegal for a boss to kiss or even sleep with an underling, as long as the encounter is consensual. It's fucked up, but not illegal.
      - HillRat 10y ago
        Not illegal, but almost always a major violation of company protocol and a very good reason to get fired with prejudice. But Uber seems like the kind of corporate culture where that kind of thing is tolerated, if not basically encouraged.
  - facepalm 10y ago
    People fall in love with colleagues all the time.
- vkou 10y ago
  It may or may not be illegal depending on where they are in the org chart, but you should still not do it.
  - dpark 10y ago
    In the US, if it's consensual, it's not illegal regardless of the org chart except for very particular scenarios like (I believe) military service members. It may be against company policy and a generally bad idea, but consensual sexual contact is not illegal even between the CEO and an intern. If I'm wrong, I'd be interested in seeing the relevant laws or cases.
    - vkou 10y ago
      > In the US, if it's consensual, it's not illegal regardless of the org chart. It's not illegal to sleep with your boss. Unfortunately (For your boss), if you decide to break the relationship off, and are feeling particularly vengeful, you will have a slam-dunk sexual harassment case against them. Good luck to your boss proving that the bad performance review they gave you was not retaliation for you breaking off the relationship. Or, likewise, good luck to them proving that the good performance they gave you (But did not give Billy) is not based on you sleeping with them. Billy will also have a pretty good workplace discrimination suit for to bring, there.
      - dpark 10y ago
        > Unfortunately (For your boss), if you decide to break the relationship off, and are feeling particularly vengeful, you will have a slam-dunk sexual harassment case against them. That's not entirely true. If the relationship is long-term or it's public knowledge, the risk of this is much lower. Secret affairs? Very risky. Open serious relationships? Not as risky (which is why companies that allow relationships generally require that they are disclosed). But still too risky. The discrimination suit is more risky in each case, because you'll pretty much end up trying to prove your innocence because you'll look guilty by default.
        10y ago
Phlarp 10y ago
Maybe he just found it convenient cover to jump off a sinking ship. Maybe there are way larger skeletons in his closet. It's unlikely we'll ever know for sure in this instance but I think the general trajectory of Uber has fundamentally shifted in the last month.
- spadeisaspade 10y ago
  I know first hand--skeletons in his closet. Weeding out the bad.
spadeisaspade 10y ago
No that's absolutely not it. This guy is a scumbag and was allowed to "resign" to come out of this relatively unscathed. The article about him doesn't even scratch the surface.

by pdog 10y ago

jacquesm 10y ago

Whether it is a problem or not depends on what the relationship was between the two people in the org chart.

e40 10y ago
I cannot imagine being a VP and engaging in this behavior, even if the person was under another VP. It's extremely unprofessional.
- obstinate 10y ago
  On so many levels. I don't think making out with someone at a company event is OK, period. Even less if they also work at the company. Even less if they're your report. Even less if you're powerful within the company (i.e. a tone-setter). To be clear, the reason it's not OK is that a professional context should not also be a sexual context. It's not about protecting the person you're making out with. It's about everyone else. This is the same reason that excessive PDA in the workplace can be sexual harassment of other employees, even if both parties to the PDA are consenting.
- jacquesm 10y ago
  There's a line between 'unprofessional' and 'illegal'. The org chart will tell you the difference.
  - exolymph 10y ago
    It's not illegal for a boss to kiss or even sleep with an underling, as long as the encounter is consensual. It's fucked up, but not illegal.
    - HillRat 10y ago
      Not illegal, but almost always a major violation of company protocol and a very good reason to get fired with prejudice. But Uber seems like the kind of corporate culture where that kind of thing is tolerated, if not basically encouraged.
- facepalm 10y ago
  People fall in love with colleagues all the time.
vkou 10y ago
It may or may not be illegal depending on where they are in the org chart, but you should still not do it.
- dpark 10y ago
  In the US, if it's consensual, it's not illegal regardless of the org chart except for very particular scenarios like (I believe) military service members. It may be against company policy and a generally bad idea, but consensual sexual contact is not illegal even between the CEO and an intern. If I'm wrong, I'd be interested in seeing the relevant laws or cases.
  - vkou 10y ago
    > In the US, if it's consensual, it's not illegal regardless of the org chart. It's not illegal to sleep with your boss. Unfortunately (For your boss), if you decide to break the relationship off, and are feeling particularly vengeful, you will have a slam-dunk sexual harassment case against them. Good luck to your boss proving that the bad performance review they gave you was not retaliation for you breaking off the relationship. Or, likewise, good luck to them proving that the good performance they gave you (But did not give Billy) is not based on you sleeping with them. Billy will also have a pretty good workplace discrimination suit for to bring, there.
    - dpark 10y ago
      > Unfortunately (For your boss), if you decide to break the relationship off, and are feeling particularly vengeful, you will have a slam-dunk sexual harassment case against them. That's not entirely true. If the relationship is long-term or it's public knowledge, the risk of this is much lower. Secret affairs? Very risky. Open serious relationships? Not as risky (which is why companies that allow relationships generally require that they are disclosed). But still too risky. The discrimination suit is more risky in each case, because you'll pretty much end up trying to prove your innocence because you'll look guilty by default.
      - 10y ago

Phlarp 10y ago

Maybe he just found it convenient cover to jump off a sinking ship. Maybe there are way larger skeletons in his closet. It's unlikely we'll ever know for sure in this instance but I think the general trajectory of Uber has fundamentally shifted in the last month.

spadeisaspade 10y ago
I know first hand--skeletons in his closet. Weeding out the bad.

spadeisaspade 10y ago

No that's absolutely not it. This guy is a scumbag and was allowed to "resign" to come out of this relatively unscathed. The article about him doesn't even scratch the surface.