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Here's the whole line item in Uber's e-mail: > 4) Do not have sex with another employee UNLESS a) you have asked that person for that privilege and they have r

Here's the whole line item in Uber's e-mail: > 4) Do not have sex with another employee UNLESS a) you have asked that person for that privilege and they have responded with an emphatic "YES! I will have sex with you" AND b) the two (or more) of you do not work in the same chain of command. Yes, that means that Travis will be celibate on this trip. #CEOLife #FML First: This is completely inappropriate to bring up in this way in a work environment. Second: When it comes to sexual harassment issues in the workplace, women are the main victims, which is probably why the Guardian reporter wrote that sentence as they did. Not only does this text give a green light to very questionable behavior (which will mostly or entirely be perpetrated against women by men), but it also implies that CEO Kalanick -- someone employees might take as a role model -- has and will continue to have sex with underlings, but just not on this trip. Yeah, it's probably a joke. If so, it's a dumb and inappropriate joke. And Kalanick was 37 when he wrote this. Not 22. Not some newb CEO. 37.

nailer 9y ago
> > 4) Do not have sex with another employee UNLESS a) you have asked that person for that privilege and they have responded with an emphatic "YES! I will have sex with you" AND b) the two (or more) of you do not work in the same chain of command. Yes, that means that Travis will be celibate on this trip. #CEOLife #FML > This is completely inappropriate to bring up in this way in a work environment. Active consent is a good thing and always good to bring up at social events. Pretending that some staff don't have sex with other - particularly staff who spend long hours in the same environment - is naive and dangerous, since it stops issues like this from being addressed. Pointing out that not having sex with someone who reports you applies to EVERYONE is also important. > Not only does this text give a green light to very questionable behavior What questionable behavior does it give a green light to?
- chasing 9y ago
  For me, it's the tone and the implication that the CEO does it. Which casts a jokey light on, y'know, telling employees to please not rape one another.
  - gadders 9y ago
    Or please not create a situation that could lead to an unpleasant work environment or harassment claims. Seems sensible to me.
  - vorotato 9y ago
    That's right, that's exactly what the problem is. Saying don't rape is good, tacking a joke on the end of it is bad. I'm honestly glad we're all having this conversation, because it was clearly necessary.
  - nailer 9y ago
    They're not telling staff to not rape each other. They're asking staff for enthusiastic consent, and not to have sex in the chain of command, both of which are more than what the law requires. The joke that the CEO is making is that they are limiting their own sexual activity too - since they're at the top and therefore anyone in the company would be in their chain of command.
- peterbonney 9y ago
  > Active consent is a good thing and always good to bring up at social events. Pretending that some staff don't have sex with other - particularly staff who spend long hours in the same environment - is naive and dangerous, since it stops issues like this from being addressed. Pointing out that not having sex with someone who reports you applies to EVERYONE is also important. I don't think anyone would argue with that. But having been involved in crafting workplace policies at a company where multiple relationships and marriages developed between employees, I can only say that in my experience when an issue like this is taken seriously, the message is generally crafted and communicated in a serious tone.
ryandrake 9y ago
Jeez, Uber is truly damned if they do, damned if they don't. The above quoted advice seems pretty sensible to me, if not obvious. If they don't give that advice, they're be guilty of silently condoning inappropriate behavior. If they do give that advice, they're guilty of joking about sex and being a frat house. No winning this game.
- zentiggr 9y ago
  Exactly. If this is the sort of behavior they have to warn against, the work environment is already toxic and needs fixing. Lose. If this is the way they have to phrase it in order for the message to stick, they need to find employees who have been socialized to actually respect other humans. Lose. The more I see these sort of things come up, the happier and happier I am that I was never in a fraternity, and at the risk of tar-and-feathering the good, helpful ones, I can't see frat membership as anything but a warning of potentially damaging childishness and legal fubars.
- qyv 9y ago
  So it is appropriate for the CEO to essentially pout to him staff that he can't have sex with them? All of these things are certainly in the employment agreements and HR guidelines at Uber, this memo is NOT the first time any of these employees have gotten this 'advice'. Further, but putting this content in the memo you are doing a couple things: First, setting an expectation that sex will occur at this company endorsed function; and two, second you are essentially saying that your employees have had problems with this historically. How do you think that makes you employees who are not interested in this type of thing feel? What about those that just want to have a good time with their coworkers without being propositioned by every horny drunkard in the room?
  - ryandrake 9y ago
    I don't follow. Have you ever gone to a company event where the folks organizing it warn: "Have fun celebrating the product launch, but if you have a little too much to drink, please be responsible and call a taxi." Is the company setting an expectation that over-drinking will occur? Is the company necessarily implying that employees have had problems with drinking historically? Does this message turn of non-drinking employees?
deleted 9y ago
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nailer 9y ago

> > 4) Do not have sex with another employee UNLESS a) you have asked that person for that privilege and they have responded with an emphatic "YES! I will have sex with you" AND b) the two (or more) of you do not work in the same chain of command. Yes, that means that Travis will be celibate on this trip. #CEOLife #FML > This is completely inappropriate to bring up in this way in a work environment. Active consent is a good thing and always good to bring up at social events. Pretending that some staff don't have sex with other - particularly staff who spend long hours in the same environment - is naive and dangerous, since it stops issues like this from being addressed. Pointing out that not having sex with someone who reports you applies to EVERYONE is also important. > Not only does this text give a green light to very questionable behavior What questionable behavior does it give a green light to?

chasing 9y ago
For me, it's the tone and the implication that the CEO does it. Which casts a jokey light on, y'know, telling employees to please not rape one another.
- gadders 9y ago
  Or please not create a situation that could lead to an unpleasant work environment or harassment claims. Seems sensible to me.
- vorotato 9y ago
  That's right, that's exactly what the problem is. Saying don't rape is good, tacking a joke on the end of it is bad. I'm honestly glad we're all having this conversation, because it was clearly necessary.
- nailer 9y ago
  They're not telling staff to not rape each other. They're asking staff for enthusiastic consent, and not to have sex in the chain of command, both of which are more than what the law requires. The joke that the CEO is making is that they are limiting their own sexual activity too - since they're at the top and therefore anyone in the company would be in their chain of command.
peterbonney 9y ago
> Active consent is a good thing and always good to bring up at social events. Pretending that some staff don't have sex with other - particularly staff who spend long hours in the same environment - is naive and dangerous, since it stops issues like this from being addressed. Pointing out that not having sex with someone who reports you applies to EVERYONE is also important. I don't think anyone would argue with that. But having been involved in crafting workplace policies at a company where multiple relationships and marriages developed between employees, I can only say that in my experience when an issue like this is taken seriously, the message is generally crafted and communicated in a serious tone.

ryandrake 9y ago

Jeez, Uber is truly damned if they do, damned if they don't. The above quoted advice seems pretty sensible to me, if not obvious. If they don't give that advice, they're be guilty of silently condoning inappropriate behavior. If they do give that advice, they're guilty of joking about sex and being a frat house. No winning this game.

zentiggr 9y ago
Exactly. If this is the sort of behavior they have to warn against, the work environment is already toxic and needs fixing. Lose. If this is the way they have to phrase it in order for the message to stick, they need to find employees who have been socialized to actually respect other humans. Lose. The more I see these sort of things come up, the happier and happier I am that I was never in a fraternity, and at the risk of tar-and-feathering the good, helpful ones, I can't see frat membership as anything but a warning of potentially damaging childishness and legal fubars.
qyv 9y ago
So it is appropriate for the CEO to essentially pout to him staff that he can't have sex with them? All of these things are certainly in the employment agreements and HR guidelines at Uber, this memo is NOT the first time any of these employees have gotten this 'advice'. Further, but putting this content in the memo you are doing a couple things: First, setting an expectation that sex will occur at this company endorsed function; and two, second you are essentially saying that your employees have had problems with this historically. How do you think that makes you employees who are not interested in this type of thing feel? What about those that just want to have a good time with their coworkers without being propositioned by every horny drunkard in the room?
- ryandrake 9y ago
  I don't follow. Have you ever gone to a company event where the folks organizing it warn: "Have fun celebrating the product launch, but if you have a little too much to drink, please be responsible and call a taxi." Is the company setting an expectation that over-drinking will occur? Is the company necessarily implying that employees have had problems with drinking historically? Does this message turn of non-drinking employees?

deleted 9y ago

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