4 ms·

Are you from the US? In the US and CA you can be fired for basically any reason that a company wants as long as you are not a protected class which Damore is

Are you from the US? In the US and CA you can be fired for basically any reason that a company wants as long as you are not a protected class which Damore is not. But here it is so black and white on firing him this entire discussion is a bit ridiculous. The entire thing is some weird PR thing driven by the right wing. Any company I am familiar with in the US would have fired Damore. It is also why nobody will hire him. It is also why he now has his GF filter him.

LyndsySimon 9y ago
Yes, I live in Arkansas. An employer here can legally fire someone because they have a bumper sticker on their car for the wrong candidate. In California, however, political affiliation is a protected class under state law.
- JoeAltmaier 9y ago
  Practically, you can just 'let a person go' and not tell them its about the bumper sticker. CA is a right-to-work state, isn't it? Anyone can be laid off at any time.
  - LyndsySimon 9y ago
    > Practically, you can just 'let a person go' and not tell them its about the bumper sticker. That's not what happened here, though. > CA is a right-to-work state, isn't it? Anyone can be laid off at any time. You're confusing "right to work" and "at will". "Right to work" means that it's illegal for a union to prohibit non-union workers. "At will" means that employers can fire people without reason. Even in an "at will" state, there are protected classes under both federal and state law. Political affiliation is not a protected class under federal law, but it is under California state law.
  - stale2002 9y ago
    You could do that sure. But if someone sues you, and you are required to give up your emails as per discovery laws, and one of those emails says "I fired him for being a Democrat/republican", then you would lose the court case and have to pay lots of money. Google explicitly fired the guy for the memo. They aren't hiding as for why they fired it they explicitly gave the reason. If you explicitly give a reason for why someone is fired, and that reason is illegal, them you will lose the court case. Similarly, you could also find someone hiking in the woods, and just shoot them or something, and you might get away with it. Or you might not. That's how the law works. Google has been very clear as for why the guy was fired. Now the only question is is their stated reason equivalent to firing someone for politics. And if so, that's illegal.

LyndsySimon 9y ago

Yes, I live in Arkansas. An employer here can legally fire someone because they have a bumper sticker on their car for the wrong candidate. In California, however, political affiliation is a protected class under state law.

JoeAltmaier 9y ago
Practically, you can just 'let a person go' and not tell them its about the bumper sticker. CA is a right-to-work state, isn't it? Anyone can be laid off at any time.
- LyndsySimon 9y ago
  > Practically, you can just 'let a person go' and not tell them its about the bumper sticker. That's not what happened here, though. > CA is a right-to-work state, isn't it? Anyone can be laid off at any time. You're confusing "right to work" and "at will". "Right to work" means that it's illegal for a union to prohibit non-union workers. "At will" means that employers can fire people without reason. Even in an "at will" state, there are protected classes under both federal and state law. Political affiliation is not a protected class under federal law, but it is under California state law.
- stale2002 9y ago
  You could do that sure. But if someone sues you, and you are required to give up your emails as per discovery laws, and one of those emails says "I fired him for being a Democrat/republican", then you would lose the court case and have to pay lots of money. Google explicitly fired the guy for the memo. They aren't hiding as for why they fired it they explicitly gave the reason. If you explicitly give a reason for why someone is fired, and that reason is illegal, them you will lose the court case. Similarly, you could also find someone hiking in the woods, and just shoot them or something, and you might get away with it. Or you might not. That's how the law works. Google has been very clear as for why the guy was fired. Now the only question is is their stated reason equivalent to firing someone for politics. And if so, that's illegal.