5 ms·
Everything appears to be a liability these days - that is the problem.
by jriot 9y ago
Everything appears to be a liability these days - that is the problem.
- simonebrunozzi 9y agoThat is, in the US. I live in San Francisco, but I'm from Italy and have worked (and hired, and fired) people there in the past. I can assure you that all this "legal wall" around everything doesn't really exist in Italy, or at least it's vastly mitigated. As a consequence, I was able to provide detailed feedback every time I rejected a candidate, for example, without even thinking of the legal consequences.
- calvinbhai 9y agoI have had this experience with a few companies I interviewed with in EU, where I got feedback after rejection. It feels so pleasant, yet strange, after having taken it for granted that I'll just get a templated rejection letter based on interview experiences in the US.
- jriot 9y agoAgree this is a US problem and I don't understand why. It doesn't hurt me why you didn't select me. You didn't think I would fit in culturally. Ok, no worries. You didn't think I knew enough of what you wanted to know. Ok, no worries. You didn't like the way I was dressed. Ok, no worries. You weren't really hiring but were just testing the waters. Ok, probably won't apply again but no worries.
- enraged_camel 9y ago>>Agree this is a US problem and I don't understand why. Because the US has very severe issues related to racism, sexism, ageism and many other types of discrimination. So the laws are much tighter, which results in extreme caution and risk aversion on the part of employers.
- ag_camel 9y agoAnd other paces dont? Almost every country has severe issues related to all the above. In the US, we have litigation everywhere, you fall and slip in a supermarket? Lawsuit! You tripped over a pothole? Lawsuit! Heck, lawyers advertise to do this...
- nemothekid 9y agoPart of this is we don't have a social safety net, like universal health insurance. >you fall and slip in a supermarket? Lawsuit! You fall and slip in a supermarket, due to a careless employee and now you owe hundred of thousands in medical bills. Some executive somewhere realized it was easier to extract that cash from a corporation than putting some person deep in debt. Secondly, I believe America's relationship with race/sex/age discrimination goes a lot deeper than most countries, despite the fact we are younger.
- refurb 9y agoWe don't have a social safety net? That's a surprise since 2/3rd of my federal taxes go to social programs!
- zz32asdf 9y agoTalk about people that don't read enough outside of tech topics. They have the same issues, but a different historical context for treating them. In America, the first nation to be founded on a set of utilitarian guidelines, rather than random edict of a mad man claiming divine right, situations are codified in law As the industrial changes of the last 100 years lead to exploitation, laws sprang up and needed tweaking. I'm not saying it's perfect, but let me explain WHY these laws still exist and don't seem to change: because the public doesn't force the issue. They think they can go to their job and change things, then realize every 50 years or so that really not much did, because the social order codified in law didn't change. Google and Facebook aren't changing things; they're inventing new gadgets and bullshit. Change in human societies has ALWAYS come from the top-down administrative changes.
- Spooky23 9y ago
- Spooky23 9y agoBecause the way our laws protect protected classes make it trivial to hustle employers. I’ve been sued and served with human rights complaints for firing a sleeping employee (I wasn’t checking on the sleep/wake status of employees not in protected classes) and for allegedly terminating an employee because of their protected substance abuse issues. It’s an incredibly time consuming, expensive and stressful process.
- mathgladiator 9y agoWait, now I have to Google protected substance abuse issues. How is this a thing?
- futhey 9y agoSpeculating but addiction is a disease, and corporate HR usually terminates for something like refusing to attend treatment / etc.
- Spooky23 9y agoGood intentions and problematic incentives. Medical conditions give you certain protections for good reason -- otherwise employers would just fire employees with cancer to keep insurance rates down. 99/100 these things are good, but it takes a couple of jerks to make life miserable for all.
- skookumchuck 9y agoI've heard the "MeToo" movement, with its guilt by accusation, is having unintended consequences. Male executives are starting to avoid women employees in any situation where there are not other people present. This means no going out for drinks to make a deal, no business lunch to brainstorm, no meeting on the golf course to pitch your plan. Not even a discussion of confidential matters in the private office of one or the other.
- ghettoimp 9y agoHuh. Well, for my part, I haven’t changed my behavior one bit due to it, and I’m (still) not worried in the least about being sued or something for treating my women colleagues as ordinary people. Shrug.
- skookumchuck 9y agoThat'll work great until you run into an unscrupulous woman or a grey area.
- throwaway84742 9y agoThat is very real, and I have observed this personally, especially with male managers who have female reports.
- thowawayburnout 9y agoMale school teachers I know in Canada tell me its common sense to never be alone with a female student in a room. One false accusation and your livelihood is DOA.
- skookumchuck 9y agoYears ago I knew a professor who had a glass door installed on his office for that reason. These days it would be insufficient.
- sjg007 9y agoToo many law school graduates.