I got fired from Facebook (for having a YouTube channel) | Hacker News Reader

I got fired from Facebook (for having a YouTube channel)

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58 pointsvfc131 comments

The guy was working 80 hour weeks, and got fired overnight by having a Youtube channel on tech and tech interview tips.

It's amazing how these companies think they can literally buy you and own you, like a slave.

Not only they expect you to be available around the clock but even tell you what you can and can't do with the little free time they leave you left.

It's Facebook we're talking about. Probably one of the most un-ethical entities on the planet. Of course they won't respect their employees, they don't respect their users (or their users' privacy) either.

If you decide to go and work for one of these companies abuse in some form or other should be expected, and you should be well aware that you are in some way acting against the interests of the general public and that when the company decides that you are to be disposed of that it will do so without consideration for your well being.

I hate unions but it's abuse like this that reminds me why unions exist at all. Unions basically tell managers that there are rules of engagement they need to respect. And they tell companies that a level of work needs to be guaranteed to them for employment, arbitrary rules will not work, and employment is playing with a life and you need to plan ahead for that.

Sure certain employees abuse it and it attracts other types of employees that could never work at startups. And a guy with his own YouTube channel would rather work for a real company than a unionized one. But there has got to be a balance. Between unbridled employers and managers and systematic ones.

Hate is a very strong emotion. What do you "hate" about them? Why don't you just dislike them?

It's just his American programming speaking.

Americans hate unions because their parents hate unions. Their parents hate unions because they are "socialist".

I like unions and so do my parents, but keep on keeping on with those blanket generalizations.

Tone policing is the lowest form of criticism.

You are a completely terrible person for posting what you did. (Or is that the appropriate term? What an important question! Let us explore it in depth!)

They are involuntary. They’ve parasites that often keep more for themselves than the employees they claim to help.

> "got fired overnight by having a Youtube channel on tech and tech interview tips"

How is that even remotely a valid reason to fire someone? I'm really glad we've got laws for that. Had it happened here, the dismissal would most likely have been rejected.

California is at will employment. They can fire him for parting his hair the wrong way if they want.

I'm curious, but surely there are some rules regarding, for example, the number of hours per week of work, right?

Employers can't just ask anything from their employees, like being available around the clock and that kind of thing I suppose. Or can they?

Keep in mind that the US is the only developed nation, wehere the law mandates exactly zero days of paid vacation.

You may get the odd holiday off, but for the rest you're totally at the mercy of your employer.

I believe it's also one of only two countries in the world that doesn't have standard paid maternity leave. It's bizarre just how few rights American workers really have.

I feel guilty for laughing when he said "to have a friendly chat with HR". It's certainly not a good month for him, as apparently his wife recently left him as well[0]. Bit sad (and perhaps demeaning) to see the video cut mid-way for a message from the sponsor.

But yeah, as jacquesm also said, there's no reason to expect any better from Facebook, is there? It's rather a mark of consistency, being unethical both outwards and inwards.

[0] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fssFXlNk6vw

I think he tries to make his sponsor messages as awkward as possible as a joke.

No - not for having a YT channel (per se) but for engaging in communications that FB considered to be a conflict of interest. And probably (as with most firings), a whole whole bunch of other stuff (besides the nominal "reason").

Nonethelsss - my heart goes out to anyone dragged into a "friendly chat with HR" under any circumstances.

> No - not for having a YT channel (per se) but for engaging in communications that FB considered to be a conflict of interest.

What was the conflict of interest?

> And probably (as with most firings), a whole whole bunch of other stuff (besides the nominal "reason").

Probably, but not certainly.

What was the conflict of interest?

Dunno - whatever was running through the HR people's heads.

The whole point is - it wasn't simply for "having a YouTube channel".

He was hilarious as always: he said Facebook wanted him to start presenting himself as an Ex-Facebook Tech Lead and not only an Ex-Google Tech Lead, and the fact that he couldn't because he worked there represented a conflict of interest that benefited Google over Facebook, and so they fired him making it now possible to claim that he is also an ex-Facebook Tech Lead.

Patrick's channel is pretty awesome and he has an amazing deadpan sense of humor. For those who don't really know him, I suggest his "What do programmers actually do?" video [0] which is pretty hilarious.

[0] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQY5udXquOk

This is actually hilarious. Huge bummer he got fired, but I did subscribe to his channel.

The irony of a social media company which encourages people to post and share

After looking into this more I believe he was fired for a video he made about women in tech were he advocates traditional gender roles and references Sheryl Sandberg to support his argument.

He has an amazing sense of humour, considering.

Is this for real? I'm really struggling with Poe's law. Ads, upsells, asking for comments about if he's hit rock bottom all really feel disingenuous to me.

It's just his style if you watch some of his other videos, he has a very sarcastic sense of humor.

He has a series of recurring jokes like inserting adds in the middle of nothing, repeating that he is an ex-Google Tech Lead 50 times, etc. those are insider jokes for fans of the channel.

why is this flagged?

Wow, his wife left him too. I hope he's doing okay.

I'm surprised he didn't even get a warning.

Wow, his wife left him too.

Might have had something to do with the 80-hour work weeks.

The timing is interesting. He recently posted a video about women in tech.

Well, any decent company could hire him no problem.

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