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I can't believe why this is so abuzz as it's their company, their rules - as long as they don't violate laws at any level, they can do whatever makes them happy

I can't believe why this is so abuzz as it's their company, their rules - as long as they don't violate laws at any level, they can do whatever makes them happy at their own company! Employees get paid to do certain job, they don't do this for free. Basecamp is a business, it's not a charity or an activist collective - unless the owners want it that way! Employment is at will and can be terminated on either side at any time - not questions asked and no reasons given. Shaming your employer who provided for you for years and allowed you to build your career and resume and who is giving you a great severance package that they don't have to give you and still be unhappy is pretty silly! Take the package and find a job, which makes you happy at an employer who is okay that you're gonna spend most of your paid time discussing politics and societal issues!

CydeWeys 6y ago
Just because something might be legal doesn't make it a good idea to do it.
- nikolay 6y ago
  What's a good and a bad idea is very subjective. Let them run their business the way they want! Pretty much everywhere else in the world political polemics are not allowed at work as they can divide the workforce and some people could feel harassed by hearing non-work-related stuff they wholeheartedly disagree with!
  - ryanbrunner 6y ago
    Sure, but part of the consequences of making horrible decisions is that you're going to lose 30% of your employees. Any business leader can do what they like with their business, it doesn't mean that they shouldn't be immune to criticism or that they have a god-given right for their employees not to quit.
    - nikolay 6y ago
      I worked at a big company and popular brand when they hired an asshole to harass the entire developer team and make them leave and replaced all of us with contractors from the asshole's buddy company. It was beyond obvious that this was coming from upper management, because all of us reporting to HR did not result to any change, even if there was documented harassment of employees. So, maybe Jason and DHH just wanted these people out and found this way to do it as to do a layoff if the company is beyond a certain size, it's not so easy. Anyway, I am no the kind of employee that will go sue their former employer or talk shit about them as, again, I know employment is at will and should be.
  - CydeWeys 6y ago
    Seeing as how the context of this discussion in an article titled "How Basecamp Blew Up", I think it's pretty safe to say it was in fact a bad idea.
    - nikolay 6y ago
      That's absolutely not true. It's one viewpoint of a person with obvious liberal views - not all clients and employees drink the neoliberal Kool-Aid. In fact, many people outside of the SV would become more loyal to Basecamp and many suggested in comments on previous posts that the no-politics policy makes Basecamp a more attractive employer for them.
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CydeWeys 6y ago

Just because something might be legal doesn't make it a good idea to do it.

nikolay 6y ago
What's a good and a bad idea is very subjective. Let them run their business the way they want! Pretty much everywhere else in the world political polemics are not allowed at work as they can divide the workforce and some people could feel harassed by hearing non-work-related stuff they wholeheartedly disagree with!
- ryanbrunner 6y ago
  Sure, but part of the consequences of making horrible decisions is that you're going to lose 30% of your employees. Any business leader can do what they like with their business, it doesn't mean that they shouldn't be immune to criticism or that they have a god-given right for their employees not to quit.
  - nikolay 6y ago
    I worked at a big company and popular brand when they hired an asshole to harass the entire developer team and make them leave and replaced all of us with contractors from the asshole's buddy company. It was beyond obvious that this was coming from upper management, because all of us reporting to HR did not result to any change, even if there was documented harassment of employees. So, maybe Jason and DHH just wanted these people out and found this way to do it as to do a layoff if the company is beyond a certain size, it's not so easy. Anyway, I am no the kind of employee that will go sue their former employer or talk shit about them as, again, I know employment is at will and should be.
- CydeWeys 6y ago
  Seeing as how the context of this discussion in an article titled "How Basecamp Blew Up", I think it's pretty safe to say it was in fact a bad idea.
  - nikolay 6y ago
    That's absolutely not true. It's one viewpoint of a person with obvious liberal views - not all clients and employees drink the neoliberal Kool-Aid. In fact, many people outside of the SV would become more loyal to Basecamp and many suggested in comments on previous posts that the no-politics policy makes Basecamp a more attractive employer for them.

deleted 6y ago

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