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by busterarm 2570 days ago
Our elders really knew how to do some things right.
1 comments

It's always entertaining when Silicon Valley companies learn that hundred-plus year companies have these stiff adult things called "rules" around for a reason. I can't imagine seriously engaging in significant political discussion at work, and can't imagine a positive outcome to it.
Well, when a company actively tries to make its employees private life a service provided by the company, that's inevitably going to include their activism as well.

The bigger companies in particular are your employer, your restaurant, your gym, your laundry service, your transportation, your social life...

> The bigger companies in particular are your employer, your restaurant, your gym, your laundry service, your transportation, your social life...

What companies besides Google and Facebook could qualify as all of those?

Let's see...Genentech has: onsite child care, car wash facilities, haircutting, spa treatments, bike repair, a gym

United Shore: their own starbucks, a gym, outdoor basketball courts.

Commvault has: ping pong, foosball, pool tables, a gym, a softball field, a basketball court, a walking trail

Procore has: a gym, catered lunches, bring your dog to work policy, fitness _classes_, massages & haircuts onsite.

Adobe: a gym

Tesla: employee lease program, shuttle services

Intel: gyms, fitness classes, spas, dry cleaning, banking.

It's easy when you've made sure the entire company leans the same way though. It would be odd to be a right-winger and work in Google--knowing that they're doing everything they can to hurt me. But of course money is money and everybody has a price.
I'm a right-winger in a leftist workplace. The key is just to keep your head down whenever politics comes up, and never participate in discussion about controversial topics. Generally I would act the same in a right-leaning atmosphere if one ever existed anyway, but at least then I wouldn't hear my coworkers' rants.