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Kathryn Spiers says Google terminated her after she created a browser tool to notify employees of their organizing rights.
[...] Back in September, Google reached a settlement with the NLRB over earlier alleged violations of federal labor law. Under the settlement, Google was required to post a list of employee rights in its Mountain View headquarters.
[...] So when Google hired a consulting company known for its anti-union work, Spiers wrote a notification that would appear whenever Google employees visited the firm's website. The notification stated that "Googlers have the right to participate in protected concerted activities." That's a legal term of art for worker organizing efforts. It also included a link to the worker rights notification mandated by the NLRB settlement.
[...] Two weeks later, on December 13, Spiers was fired.
[...] The complaint argues that her firing was an "attempt to quell Spiers and other employees from asserting their right to engage in concerted protected activities."
Previous stories:
https://soylentnews.org/article.pl?sid=19/12/04/0029250
https://soylentnews.org/article.pl?sid=19/11/26/1411249
Seems like a pattern of abuse to me. Just not necessarily by the employees.
(Score: 3, Informative) by Pino P on Wednesday December 18 2019, @02:15AM (15 children)
Comments to the corresponding story on the green site [slashdot.org] appear to have come to the following consensus:
Google intended this internal system solely to deliver highly urgent notices related to two subjects, namely information security and user data privacy protection. Even though the notice in question was mandated by the (U.S.) National Labor Relations Board, Google is in the right because the notice was unrelated to those two subjects and therefore should have gone through a different channel.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday December 18 2019, @02:25AM (2 children)
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Wednesday December 18 2019, @02:55AM
Depends on the labour laws in US [wikipedia.org] - looks like the case falls in the wrongful dismissal category, "sprinkled" in zillion of places instead of a single coherent law [wikipedia.org]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday December 18 2019, @07:44PM
The operative word is not "should" but "could".
She's claiming that this was insufficient grounds for termination, which means Google "could not" use this as justification for termination. Really hate to side with Google on things, but this seems like completely justifiable termination. I expect the reason they're bringing the lawsuit is because Google will [probably correctly] value the cost of settling out of court as cheaper for a fat paycheck and a gag order as being less than the PR damage of crushing her in court. Think about the Ellen Pao - Kleiner Perkins case. Even though the courts decided she had absolutely no case whatsoever, the media turned her into a hero because it fit a desired narrative that this case also fits. Kleiner Perkins was less sensitive to PR damage than Google is, especially at a time like now where Google's image is already rapidly deteriorating.
Hahaha, I expect the one reason Google might want to take it to court is because otherwise they are pretty seriously creating a how-to guide for retiring before you're 30:
- get hired at google
- go crazy overboard on some social justice crusade
- get fired for behaviors at least tangentially related to #2
- social media it a bunch
- sue
- Aruba, Jamaica ooo I wanna take ya Bermuda, Bahama come on pretty mama Key Largo, Montego baby why don't we go down to Kokomo
Due to hiring for 'Googlism' they now have literally tens of thousands of employees that would very likely be willing to consider going down this path. Poetic justice.
(Score: 5, Informative) by c0lo on Wednesday December 18 2019, @02:47AM
She says [medium.com]
If she can demonstrate that "adding things pertaining to hobbies or interests" happened frequently enough without the posters being fired, Google is screwed in a suit implying unfair dismissal.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 4, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday December 18 2019, @03:44AM (9 children)
I left the green site because (among other things) there were too many pieces of shit posting there.
As such, I don't give a rat's ass what the "consensus" over there might be.
What's more, why should we inject that into *our* discussion?
(Score: 3, Informative) by c0lo on Wednesday December 18 2019, @06:34AM (8 children)
Consensus and/or green site aside, is a PoV one soylenter may hold? If positive, it worth injecting into discussion.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday December 18 2019, @06:38AM (7 children)
Consensus and/or green site aside, is a PoV one soylenter may hold? If positive, it worth injecting into discussion.
OP AC here. You make a fair and reasonable point.
That said, using "the consensus from Slashdot" is pretty crappy as an appeal to authority [wikipedia.org] IMHO.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday December 18 2019, @07:18AM (3 children)
Fuck beta.
(Score: 3, Funny) by barbara hudson on Wednesday December 18 2019, @05:03PM (2 children)
Isn't that the motto of incels? Fuck betas?
SoylentNews is social media. Says so right in the slogan. Soylentnews is people, not tech.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday December 19 2019, @11:40AM (1 child)
There. FTFY. And before you complain, ask yourself this question: "What is 'incel' a portmanteau of?"
(Score: 3, Funny) by barbara hudson on Thursday December 19 2019, @06:30PM
SoylentNews is social media. Says so right in the slogan. Soylentnews is people, not tech.
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Wednesday December 18 2019, @08:25AM
Well, I appreciate anything of value even if surrounded by crap. It is rare in life to find good stuff without the shit
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 2) by Pino P on Wednesday December 18 2019, @03:27PM (1 child)
Agreed. But it's also valid to disregard the authority and discuss it as a pure speculation: "Here's a defense Google will probably try if sued for wrongful termination." I was mostly clarifying that I didn't come up with the idea myself.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday December 18 2019, @07:08PM
Fair enough. I just didn't want to pass up the opportunity to bash the green site.
(Score: 2) by barbara hudson on Thursday December 19 2019, @01:33AM
Demonstrably false. Google allowed users to post about hobbies, etc.
Google is evil. Do try to keep up with all the changes the 21st century has wrought.
SoylentNews is social media. Says so right in the slogan. Soylentnews is people, not tech.