How are these things sexist and laddish? If a heterosexual couple decide to have sex at a work event, then both people are equally culpable. Women are people and capable of making their own decisions.
In cases where authority figures or no-explicit consent are involved, the letter makes clear that won't be tolerated.
Or telling employees to "have a great fucking time" but "don't throw kegs off of tall buildings"....I mean, I read that as them pretty explicitly saying, "we expect you to get drunk and rowdy, just make sure to stop before you do anything that has legal repercussions".
That's not laddish?
So if we make jokes about outlandishly wild behavior it's now not OK?
As a professional?
No, it damn well isn't.
Why is that difficult to understand?
Hell, I would expect better of basically any grown adult over the age of 25.
Oh wait, that explains everything...
I suppose you'd enjoy 1960s-era IBM, going to work in a suit, and other dull things, some other people don't.
Personally, I simply prefer to surround myself with people who've grown out of the phase where they value weekend benders and banging co-workers.
> 4) Do not have sex with another employee UNLESS a) you have asked that person for that privilege and they have responded with an emphatic "YES! I will have sex with you" AND b) the two (or more) of you do not work in the same chain of command. Yes, that means that Travis will be celibate on this trip. #CEOLife #FML
First: This is completely inappropriate to bring up in this way in a work environment.
Second: When it comes to sexual harassment issues in the workplace, women are the main victims, which is probably why the Guardian reporter wrote that sentence as they did. Not only does this text give a green light to very questionable behavior (which will mostly or entirely be perpetrated against women by men), but it also implies that CEO Kalanick -- someone employees might take as a role model -- has and will continue to have sex with underlings, but just not on this trip.
Yeah, it's probably a joke. If so, it's a dumb and inappropriate joke. And Kalanick was 37 when he wrote this. Not 22. Not some newb CEO. 37.
> This is completely inappropriate to bring up in this way in a work environment.
Active consent is a good thing and always good to bring up at social events. Pretending that some staff don't have sex with other - particularly staff who spend long hours in the same environment - is naive and dangerous, since it stops issues like this from being addressed. Pointing out that not having sex with someone who reports you applies to EVERYONE is also important.
> Not only does this text give a green light to very questionable behavior
What questionable behavior does it give a green light to?
I don't think anyone would argue with that. But having been involved in crafting workplace policies at a company where multiple relationships and marriages developed between employees, I can only say that in my experience when an issue like this is taken seriously, the message is generally crafted and communicated in a serious tone.
The joke that the CEO is making is that they are limiting their own sexual activity too - since they're at the top and therefore anyone in the company would be in their chain of command.
All of these things are certainly in the employment agreements and HR guidelines at Uber, this memo is NOT the first time any of these employees have gotten this 'advice'. Further, but putting this content in the memo you are doing a couple things: First, setting an expectation that sex will occur at this company endorsed function; and two, second you are essentially saying that your employees have had problems with this historically. How do you think that makes you employees who are not interested in this type of thing feel? What about those that just want to have a good time with their coworkers without being propositioned by every horny drunkard in the room?
Is the company setting an expectation that over-drinking will occur?
Is the company necessarily implying that employees have had problems with drinking historically?
Does this message turn of non-drinking employees?
If this is the way they have to phrase it in order for the message to stick, they need to find employees who have been socialized to actually respect other humans. Lose.
The more I see these sort of things come up, the happier and happier I am that I was never in a fraternity, and at the risk of tar-and-feathering the good, helpful ones, I can't see frat membership as anything but a warning of potentially damaging childishness and legal fubars.
- The company expects a higher status of consent than required by law
- Staff should not at all have sex with those they report to and this applies to everyone
Saying it's "laddish" just seems like strange way to claim that any message conveyed in a non-formal tone is 'laddish' as somehow only men can understand or be the audience for such messages.
2) We do not have a budget to bail anyone out of jail. Don't be that guy.
3) Do not throw large kegs off of tall buildings.
6) There will be a $200 puke charge for any public displays on the Shore Club premises
You're sure this isn't just a little bit laddish?
No. If anything, it's responsible.
'He was merely remarking on the young lady's physical pulcritude, there is nothing remotely laddish about that.'
No one's complaining about the content of the line in question (thank god). People are complaining about the sexist, laddish, immature, and jokey tone.
Perhaps the people who most need to hear it will hear it better with such a tone?
Why do you think that Uber has this kind of reputation AND has to say these things, other companies don't write these memos. These types of things are written by companies whose culture breeds contempt of these societal rules. That is why they need to 'remind' people.
Your perception strikes me as the only thing outright sexist being discussed in this thread. Can only men talk this way and be the intended audience of a message written in this language? Why can't women also write this way or be the intended audience of this kind of language?
Sexism is treating people differently based on their gender, which is exactly what you are doing in your judgement. I know women who use similar language. Are they being "laddish"? Even the word "laddish" strikes me as dated sexist language from across the pond.
>>Do not have sex with another employee UNLESS a) you have asked that person for that privilege and they have responded with an emphatic “YES! I will have sex with you” AND b) the two (or more) of you do not work in the same chain of command.
Is pretty sensible advice.
It might surprise you, but this isn't how adults communicate, or want to be talked to. This is frat boys communicating to frat boys, making everyone else feel unsafe and unwelcome just by using this aggressively immature and tasteless tone.
Full disclosure: I've just been fired from a similar company partly because I didn't tolerate the CEO and fellow managers communicating to my team in such an offensive way. Which obviously made me a bad cultural fit, as a grown up over the age of 40.
Making sure the company talks honestly and openly about these things, and does more than what is legally necessary to prevent harassment and rape is a good thing.
Hey, speak for yourself please, don't drag me into this. I don't have a particularly high opinion of the personality of this Uber CEO, and I agree that it isn't a serious memo, and that it reflects "frat boys communicating with frat boys". However, it doesn't make me "feel unsafe" or "unwelcome".
I find it genuinely perplexing how people can "feel unsafe" because of some random fools' mutterings. I am sure and confident of my own place in the universe. I would never allow someone like this guy to negatively affect my self-perception. Even though I don't agree with the tone, this language doesn't threaten me in any way.
So please, cut it out with the appeal to a large support base - I am no frat boy, and as per your definition am thus part of the "everyone" you refer to, and that memo would not have made me feel unsafe and unwelcome.