https://github.blog/2021-01-17-update-on-an-employee-matter

> On Friday, January 8th, GitHub separated with an employee.

What an absurdly passive corporate euphemism for GitHub wrongfully firing one of their employees.

What is quite amazing to me is that they were so quick to fire him. I mean, even if he said something inappropriate it just doesn't make business sense. People say all kind of inappropriate things all the time. If a comment violates your policy have a chat with them and continue normally. Firing an employee is very expensive. Firing them over inappropriate comment is also demoralizing to the rest of the team.

I mean it's better to have some co-workers who are dicks, some that call you a grammar nazi and maybe even some who disagree with you politically than to play a Russian roulette with words every day - you never know which one is loaded and terminates your career.

Agree or disagree with him, it's refreshing to see a CEO taking a direct and absolute stance on a subject like this and not some wishy washy corporate doublespeak.

Is there more to this story? It is not clear why it mattered that the employee is Jewish and seems like that could have happened to anyone else as well.

Absolutely unfortunate situation but quite pleased with how GitHub has promptly responded to this situation.

previous thread: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=25812655

I think it is pretty clear that part of the story here is missing. No company fires someone just for saying the word Nazi. there was a complaint made against them perhaps a misunderstanding. The quote saying that “Nazis have no place at github” is particularly confusing.

My guess is that someone interpreted this as Trump supporters are Nazis and as an accusation of their coworkers

Doesn't matter that he's Jewish. You shouldn't get fired for this.

These censorious companies are way too sensitive for this. I don't get how these are the same people who promote entrepreneurship and taking huge risks in business and tech but the second someone says a word that hurts their feelings they should be fired.

Why was this flagged?

[dead]

The woke eating the woke is just beautiful to watch.

[flagged]

[flagged]

I think it's important to remember this was all said in the context of private messages, so none of this was ever intended to be aired. The fact that messages sent in private are now made public is itself quite concerning.

> “Others have already said so, but I just want to say it

> explicitly myself - I think that nazis were present at

> some protests on Jan 6, and that it’s very scary to see

> those ideas on display,” wrote one engineer in Slack.

I am yet to see evidence of Nazis being at the protests - I don't think anybody openly displaying support for Nazi ideals would find wide support in a pro-America crowd.

Assuming there were some in the crowd, I am slightly concerned that what was actually meant was "all of those people were Nazis", in which case this is dangerous rhetoric.

> “100% Nazis were there, and 1000000000% Nazis are scary as

> fuck and do not belong anywhere. PARTICULARLY AT GitHub!”

> responded another.

This idea that any group "do not belong anywhere" is quite scary. Once you have gained the title of 'Nazi' (which seems to be a more abused label in modern times), then there seems to be this idea that you have no place in society - and that you can have all services removed from you.

Even if you are a literal Nazi (or Communist, or <insert bad ideology>), as long as you abide by the laws of the land, you can be a functioning member of society, and as such need the same basic protections. These people should be allowed to open bank accounts, buy groceries, go to work, pay taxes, drink at a bar, etc. We can't de-humanize people because we disagree with the way they think.

> “Hubbers are free to express concerns about neo-Nazis,

> antisemitism, white supremacy or any other form of

> discrimination or harassment,” he wrote. “And of course,

> we expect Hubbers to be respectful, professional, and to

> follow GitHub policies on discrimination and harassment at

> all times.”

I miss the days when it was taboo to mention politics or religion in companies. I used to work with a "Nazi" and a "Communist" (as well as a whole range of political leanings), and we worked together fine. I've also worked with alcoholics and drug addicts. Generally we all agreed that if we want to do these things, we do it off company time.

Let me get this straight: A Github employee used the them "Nazi" in an appropriate context. Other employees, who many not be targets of Nazis, took "offense" at this, and got this employee fired.

I'd say that Microsoft should fire all of GitHub management for this -- as well as the other employees who stirred the pot.

>100% Nazis were there

That's great that github acknowledges that employees are free to talk about their concerns of bigotry, but calling everyone outside of your party a nazi is just as bigoted. Tone it down.

> In the post, GitHub COO Erica Brescia said: “To the employee we wish to say publicly: we sincerely apologize.”

How about offering the employee a generous severance package and their job back?

edit: Based on their blog it seems like they did, the linked article just didn't mention this.

This whole situation is a great example of why you should avoid politics / politically charged statements in the workplace all around. No one's mind about anything was fundamentally changed. People got upset and stressed out and wasted a bunch of time. People had their employment status impacted. It was just an overall negative episode. When people say something that is problematic or borderline, the response should be "end the thread" and everyone moves on with their work.