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because that doesn't sell. I'm not at google but I'm at a bay area tech startup. I'm in slack channels around things ranging from learning to speak japanese an

by jtmcmc 8y ago

because that doesn't sell. I'm not at google but I'm at a bay area tech startup. I'm in slack channels around things ranging from learning to speak japanese and korean, keto diets, coffee discussions, lgbt issues, politics (aside from my groups on work specific things). I guess I don't see why I wouldn't talk to my coworkers about things I like and care about? Some coworkers don't like to talk about these things so they aren't in those discussions - that's also great. We also have a code of conduct but it doesn't curtail debate it's just pretty much what you would expect - I imagine very much like google's

whatok 8y ago
> I guess I don't see why I wouldn't talk to my coworkers about things I like and care about? Some coworkers don't like to talk about these things so they aren't in those discussions - that's also great. We also have a code of conduct but it doesn't curtail debate it's just pretty much what you would expect - I imagine very much like google's I think part of the problem with the forced socialization at a lot of these companies is that it creates cliques that in turn introduce a lot of bias into the workplace. If I'm not interested in whatever you want to discuss but a majority of others are, this can potentially have a negative effect on how I'm perceived and also compensated/promoted while having zero to do with my actual work product. After work socialization involving drinking is another example. If my lifestyle for whatever reason does not accommodate that, I might be seen as not a team player, no fun, etc.
aestetix 8y ago
> I guess I don't see why I wouldn't talk to my coworkers about things I like and care about? Some coworkers don't like to talk about these things so they aren't in those discussions - that's also great. We also have a code of conduct but it doesn't curtail debate it's just pretty much what you would expect - I imagine very much like google's One response to this could be simple: you're there to work, not to discuss X, where X is something not related to work. Nobody is preventing you from finding a common interest with a coworker and chatting about it outside of work hours, but if it interferes with actual work, which, based on these lawsuits, seems to be happening, then it probably shouldn't be discussed during work hours. Another larger issue here is that a lot of these tech companies have "flexible" hours, which ultimately means people never leave work. Sort of like the lie of "unlimited" vacation days :)

by jtmcmc 8y ago

whatok 8y ago

> I guess I don't see why I wouldn't talk to my coworkers about things I like and care about? Some coworkers don't like to talk about these things so they aren't in those discussions - that's also great. We also have a code of conduct but it doesn't curtail debate it's just pretty much what you would expect - I imagine very much like google's I think part of the problem with the forced socialization at a lot of these companies is that it creates cliques that in turn introduce a lot of bias into the workplace. If I'm not interested in whatever you want to discuss but a majority of others are, this can potentially have a negative effect on how I'm perceived and also compensated/promoted while having zero to do with my actual work product. After work socialization involving drinking is another example. If my lifestyle for whatever reason does not accommodate that, I might be seen as not a team player, no fun, etc.

aestetix 8y ago

> I guess I don't see why I wouldn't talk to my coworkers about things I like and care about? Some coworkers don't like to talk about these things so they aren't in those discussions - that's also great. We also have a code of conduct but it doesn't curtail debate it's just pretty much what you would expect - I imagine very much like google's One response to this could be simple: you're there to work, not to discuss X, where X is something not related to work. Nobody is preventing you from finding a common interest with a coworker and chatting about it outside of work hours, but if it interferes with actual work, which, based on these lawsuits, seems to be happening, then it probably shouldn't be discussed during work hours. Another larger issue here is that a lot of these tech companies have "flexible" hours, which ultimately means people never leave work. Sort of like the lie of "unlimited" vacation days :)