Google Sets Rules to Curtail Employee Debate
In my personal estimation as someone who actually has actually read these new rules and is currently working under them, these policy changes represent little substantive change from the previous policy. I won&#x27;t be quoting the text directly because I don&#x27;t think it&#x27;s public, but most of what was changed represents a codification of practices that were already floating around as best-practices. They also added concrete examples of what constitutes harassment, all of which strike me as things that any reasonable person would actually consider harassment. Nowhere do I see anything that might be construed as &quot;curtailing employee debate.&quot;<p>All of which is to say how surprised and thrown off I am by this article: it and previous ones [1] try to portray Google as a place that&#x27;s roiled by political fighting where the leaders are struggling to keep control over a irresponsible and politically radical workforce. Under this narrative these new policies are just the newest, desperate attempt to restore order to the snowflake cagematch that is Google.<p>The reality, at least as far as I and practically everyone I&#x27;ve spoken to is concerned, is the exact opposite: people share their views openly, a wide range of opinions are respectfully shared, most people have the right to get into and stay out of political discussions, and the institution does the best it can to set the boundaries of what is appropriate at work while permitting a otherwise anything-goes approach. If this reality is anywhere close to being accurate, the picture this article paints is simply nonsensical.<p>[1]: <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.wsj.com&#x2F;articles&#x2F;google-vs-google-how-nonstop-political-arguments-rule-its-workplace-1525190574" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.wsj.com&#x2F;articles&#x2F;google-vs-google-how-nonstop-po...</a>