5 ms·

Google employees finding out if they're laid off by testing their access badges

35 points by GavCo 4y ago

avereveard 4y ago
We're at the point in hn history where unsubstantiated news reach the front page.
- mayneack 4y ago
  Has that ever not been the case? Every single "Tell HN" starts out unsubstantiated - getting to the front page is what usually substantiates them.
  - avereveard 4y ago
    They usually have a link with a source or a media of the claim. This has absolutely zero substance so far. Are people not yet sensitivized to this kinda thing? We're like six year past peak fake news and it seems people still haven't developed any form of antibodies.
    - ycomcommenter 4y ago
      has since been fully confirmed by Business Insider and other news sites https://www.businessinsider.com/google-employees-realized-laid-off-after-office-badges-didnt-work-2023-1 https://www.businessinsider.com/google-employees-realized-la...
binarymax 4y ago
Has this been substantiated or is it just some random guy on Twitter causing trouble?
- GavCo 4y ago
  Random guy is the EIC of a publication with 4M monthly visitors (for comparison, HN has 12M). There isn't much difference between a reporter breaking news on Twitter and on a news website
  - josefresco 4y ago
    "We serve over 4 million readers a month." Independent verification of claimed readership requested.
    - GavCo 4y ago
      https://www.similarweb.com/website/decrypt.co/#overview https://www.similarweb.com/website/decrypt.co/#overview
      - josefresco 4y ago
        I stand corrected but I trust third party traffic measurement about as much as I trust self-disclosed traffic numbers. Maybe Similarweb is "better" but Alexa rankings could be widely inaccurate depending on industry.
  - binarymax 4y ago
    That’s fair, but he provides no proof even after repeated asks in his replies.
    - GavCo 4y ago
      That's pretty standard practice in journalism. You have a source (e.g. google employee) who you develop a relationship with over years and learn to trust — this is called a trusted source. They tell you something that they have seen first-hand , so you rely on that to be true. Depending on the standards of the reporter/publication and the impact of the claims being made, you might try to verify the scoop with one or more additional sources. Considering the guy is self publishing on Twitter and is not currently a reporter at a well respected publication, I'd bet this is just based off of a single source. The system isn't foolproof but it works pretty well most of the time
  - vageli 4y ago
    Tabloids have lots of views, too. Popularity says nothing of veracity.
sys32768 4y ago
Did they not check their email? They were supposed to have been notified by email.
- passwordoops 4y ago
  At least we know why those people were part of the layoffs
- loriverkutya 4y ago
  if they already deactivated their badges, they also probably lost access to their emails.
  - dekhn 4y ago
    they are sending termination emails to people's personal addresses.
- kps 4y ago
  Not everyone has work email outside of work. Not everyone starts work before going to work.
  - passwordoops 4y ago
    I shut down during off hours, 100%. One of the perks of not being front-line. HOWEVER, I don't work at Google. Every Googler I encountered seems to be selected because they are naturally confused by the term "work-life balance" or look forward to vacation so they can spend time on projects that need deep focus. So yes, "they didn't check their email?" does seem an appropriate comment to me
- hgsgm 4y ago
  Not everyone reads personal email before showing up at work?
cryptos 4y ago
Why use server resources for sending emails when you can simply lock the access badge? You know, Google lays off people to safe money ...
izzydata 4y ago
If such a thing were actually the case what would you do at that point? Go to the front desk and ask security to escort you to collect your personal things?
gr4yb34rd 4y ago
that dude seems like he'd be cool news source if i were 16 and into crypto.
plusminusplus 4y ago
Is there any evidence this is true?
peter_d_sherman 4y ago
What happens if a company's "lay-off-via-security-access-badge-not-working" computer system malfunctions -- precisely when the layoff is going on -- and blocks everyone, all employees, not just the fired ones -- from access to the company's building simultaneously? ? (I don't know -- but I think there's a future sitcom episode there... <g>)
dekhn 4y ago
I used to work there and we used to joke all the time that if your badge stopped working that's how you knew you were terminated (many of us had fairly deep/sensitive access and they don't want an angry xoogler deleting prod). This was funny until it happened to my coworker when we were returning from lunch one day. I can't really picture reaching the office without having checked my personal mail and my work mail at least once but I guess there are people who do that.

35 points by GavCo 4y ago

avereveard 4y ago

We're at the point in hn history where unsubstantiated news reach the front page.

mayneack 4y ago
Has that ever not been the case? Every single "Tell HN" starts out unsubstantiated - getting to the front page is what usually substantiates them.
- avereveard 4y ago
  They usually have a link with a source or a media of the claim. This has absolutely zero substance so far. Are people not yet sensitivized to this kinda thing? We're like six year past peak fake news and it seems people still haven't developed any form of antibodies.
  - ycomcommenter 4y ago
    has since been fully confirmed by Business Insider and other news sites https://www.businessinsider.com/google-employees-realized-laid-off-after-office-badges-didnt-work-2023-1 https://www.businessinsider.com/google-employees-realized-la...

binarymax 4y ago

Has this been substantiated or is it just some random guy on Twitter causing trouble?

GavCo 4y ago
Random guy is the EIC of a publication with 4M monthly visitors (for comparison, HN has 12M). There isn't much difference between a reporter breaking news on Twitter and on a news website
- josefresco 4y ago
  "We serve over 4 million readers a month." Independent verification of claimed readership requested.
  - GavCo 4y ago
    https://www.similarweb.com/website/decrypt.co/#overview https://www.similarweb.com/website/decrypt.co/#overview
    - josefresco 4y ago
      I stand corrected but I trust third party traffic measurement about as much as I trust self-disclosed traffic numbers. Maybe Similarweb is "better" but Alexa rankings could be widely inaccurate depending on industry.
- binarymax 4y ago
  That’s fair, but he provides no proof even after repeated asks in his replies.
  - GavCo 4y ago
    That's pretty standard practice in journalism. You have a source (e.g. google employee) who you develop a relationship with over years and learn to trust — this is called a trusted source. They tell you something that they have seen first-hand , so you rely on that to be true. Depending on the standards of the reporter/publication and the impact of the claims being made, you might try to verify the scoop with one or more additional sources. Considering the guy is self publishing on Twitter and is not currently a reporter at a well respected publication, I'd bet this is just based off of a single source. The system isn't foolproof but it works pretty well most of the time
- vageli 4y ago
  Tabloids have lots of views, too. Popularity says nothing of veracity.

sys32768 4y ago

Did they not check their email? They were supposed to have been notified by email.

passwordoops 4y ago
At least we know why those people were part of the layoffs
loriverkutya 4y ago
if they already deactivated their badges, they also probably lost access to their emails.
- dekhn 4y ago
  they are sending termination emails to people's personal addresses.
kps 4y ago
Not everyone has work email outside of work. Not everyone starts work before going to work.
- passwordoops 4y ago
  I shut down during off hours, 100%. One of the perks of not being front-line. HOWEVER, I don't work at Google. Every Googler I encountered seems to be selected because they are naturally confused by the term "work-life balance" or look forward to vacation so they can spend time on projects that need deep focus. So yes, "they didn't check their email?" does seem an appropriate comment to me
hgsgm 4y ago
Not everyone reads personal email before showing up at work?

cryptos 4y ago

Why use server resources for sending emails when you can simply lock the access badge? You know, Google lays off people to safe money ...

izzydata 4y ago

If such a thing were actually the case what would you do at that point? Go to the front desk and ask security to escort you to collect your personal things?

gr4yb34rd 4y ago

that dude seems like he'd be cool news source if i were 16 and into crypto.

plusminusplus 4y ago

Is there any evidence this is true?

peter_d_sherman 4y ago

What happens if a company's "lay-off-via-security-access-badge-not-working" computer system malfunctions -- precisely when the layoff is going on -- and blocks everyone, all employees, not just the fired ones -- from access to the company's building simultaneously? ? (I don't know -- but I think there's a future sitcom episode there... <g>)

dekhn 4y ago

I used to work there and we used to joke all the time that if your badge stopped working that's how you knew you were terminated (many of us had fairly deep/sensitive access and they don't want an angry xoogler deleting prod). This was funny until it happened to my coworker when we were returning from lunch one day. I can't really picture reaching the office without having checked my personal mail and my work mail at least once but I guess there are people who do that.