So this week, we hear a lot about civility. Incidents involving Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee-Sanders and an 8-year-old California girl selling water show how uncivil our country is right now. But it seems Google wants to change that. Google keeps employees in check.
Google leaders warn their employees to be nice, especially while using bulletin boards. Because in the past, some employees used these boards for rude, inappropriate and bullying conduct. However, new guidelines are out. It talks about what is appropriate behavior and what isn’t. Also, if they break these rules, they can fire suspension, demotion, or even termination. On the surface, it sounds like common sense. Basically, the new rules insists Google workers treat each other with dignity, equality and respect, no matter what their background.
But wait. Is Google trying to overcome it’s own scandal here? Back in 2013, a scathing report hinted that Google’s workplace was immature. Then came 2017. James Damore wrote on a bulletin board his thoughts on men being better suited to be engineers than woman. This caused so much national outrage that it cost Damore his job. However, some say Damore’s firing was political. Some say they targeted Damore because he is a conservative in an liberal environment. The debate goes on to this day.
I respect what Google is doing. Every human being deserves a safe and functioning work environment, whether it’s computer repair, IT support, or anything else. Yes, I support Google on this. On the surface, this sounds really good. But let’s dig a little deeper. The rules seem pretty straight forward, the stuff our parents taught us. But does it stop there? If I worked at Google, and openly supported a political figure nobody liked, would my job be in danger? Or if I supported an unpopular social or political issue, what would happen? That’s my concern. Google keeps employees in check. Is it about safety? Or is it about control?