A programmer who was fired from Google after participating in protests against an Israeli defense contract claims that he was only present at the act of disobedience, but was not directly involved in it.
Dismissal of Google workers
Cause of protests
In April 2024, a group of Google employees held protests at the company's offices in New York and Sunnyvale, California. They opposed Project Nimbus, a $1.2 billion contract awarded by Google to the Israeli government. Protesters called on the company to abandon this agreement.
Consequences for participants
After the protests, Google placed on administrative leave 9 employees who seized office space premises. They were later arrested and then 28 people were fired. The company has threatened to take even tougher measures if necessary. Over the course of the week, more than 20 other workers were fired, some of whom denied involvement in the protests.
Testimony of a fired programmer
One of the fired programmers said that he only observed the protest promotion without entering into direct contact with participants. He interacted with people handing out leaflets and several times approached protesters sitting on the floor. He said he was not contacted to determine the extent of his involvement and was shocked by his dismissal.
Google Statements
A Google spokesman said all of the fired employees were "personally and without a doubt involved in disruptive activities" at the company's offices. However, more than 50 fired workers filed a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board, accusing Google of illegal practices and demanding reinstatement.
Glossary
- Google is a famous American technology company, one of the largest in the world;
- Project Nimbus - a $1.2 billion contract between Google and the Israeli government;
- Sunnyvale is a city in California where Google is headquartered;
- The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) is an independent US federal agency that regulates labor relations issues.
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Discussion of the topic – Google programmer fired for attending protest against Israeli contract
A former Google employee anonymously reported that he was fired for simply observing an employee protest against an Israeli defense contract at the company's New York office.
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Софья
I am very unhappy with this situation at Google. 🤨 Dismissing employees for peaceful protest is a violation of human rights. We should have freedom of speech and the right to express our opinions in the workplace!
Йозеф
I agree, Sophia. Google is clearly going too far. They do not have the right to fire people just because they attended a protest. This is an infringement of the basic rights of workers. 😡
Анри
Have you ever thought that there might be more to this story than meets the eye? Perhaps the fired employees actively called for protests or violated work discipline. Google is a large company and it is important for them to maintain order.
Гжегож
Pfft, come on! 🙄 Google just doesn't want their employees to go on strike. And protest against the military contract is a completely logical reason for the action. I wouldn't want my programming skills to be used to develop weapons either.
Федерико
I think Google acted too harshly and unjustifiably. If an employee simply observed a protest, he should not have been fired. This undermines trust in the company and discredits the corporate culture. 😔
Павел
Bah, these protests are just another whim of the youth. 😒 These days everyone is outraged about everything. Someone needs to work and not riot in the workplace! Let Google clean up the mess if they need to.
Марисоль
I was shocked when I learned about layoffs at Google. Even if someone simply observed a protest, this is not a reason to part with an employee. People have the right to peacefully express their position. 🗽
Мариуш
What if the protests got out of control? Imagine offices filled with angry shouting and chaos. The company was simply protecting its interests. But firing random viewers is already too much. 😕