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This isn't a statement from a big corporation, though. This is a statement from employees of the big corporation (presumably all of whom feel comfortable leavin
by geofft 5y ago
This isn't a statement from a big corporation, though. This is a statement from employees of the big corporation (presumably all of whom feel comfortable leaving on a moment's notice) to the corporation.
Companies have long known that making your customers happy involves retaining skilled employees, and that incurring extra costs to keep skilled employees happy is worthwhile for the business. Sometimes that involves paying them well. Sometimes that involves putting San Pellegrino in the fridge. And sometimes that requires boycotting the State of Israel.
- Mountain_Skies 5y agoBoycotting any nation is a political statement. Doesn't matter if it was employee pressure or not, it's still political.
- geofft 5y agoI agree that it would be a political statement (if the statement gets made), but I also think there's a meaningful difference between "We are making this choice because we believe it to be the right choice" and "We are making this choice because of market pressures." When, say, GitHub decides to have their place of business in the US and to subject themselves to US embargoes and therefore bans users in Iran, that's certainly a political statement. But if they say "We were forced to ban users in Iran, because we've decided it's net good for business to be subject to US law and the US does not like Iran," people interpret that as a pretty different political statement from GitHub spontaneously banning users in Iran because they themselves don't like Iran.
- bsaul 5y agoThe thing is those employees allow themselves to mix political issues with corporate life because they saw their CEO issue those same kind of statements about other political issues in the past. I feel CEO making public statements around political issues is typically an american thing.As an example, my personal experience in France is that politics is completely out of bounds of corporate life.
- geofft 5y agoSure, but the US is consistently beating France in terms of economic performance. And Silicon Valley itself, home of outspoken employees and CEOs, beats the US as a whole. Why should we sacrifice economic growth in the name of political correctness?
- bsaul 5y agoCalifornia also beat US in the past, before this recent trend of CEO wanting their company to become at the forefront of political issues. I don’t think it’s in any way related. I’d say the recent trend is on the contrary people in the industry wanting to leave california despite the good salaries...