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Microsoft Reverses Stand on Discrimination Bill
sriram_2001 writes "Bowing to intense pressure both from outside as well as its employees, Microsoft has reversed its stand on the anti-discrimination bill. In a company wide email, Steve Ballmer says that though the Washington legislative session is over for the year, they'll support any such legislation in the future. However, he adds that they'll be supporting it in the US only as they don't want to involve the company in debates in countries with different cultures and value systems. He also says that he doesn't think Microsoft should be involved in most public policy issues." Announcement about the email's release on the Scobleizer main site.
And, based on the principles I've just outlined, the company should not and will not take a position on most other public policy issues, either in the US or internationally.
So... uh... I gotta ask Steve, why such a big interest in *this* issue? Just cause it's a feel-good policy to support?
If anything, people should be judged on merit alone, not skin color, not race, not religion. I'd expect a Christian like myself to work on Sunday (10 commandments are Jewish law, in case you forgot) if I needed them to. This kind of stuff is something we've generally accepted for around a decade already, yet we're still fscking talking about it. Only now it's a PR move
This legislation was created late on purpose, so that when the legislative session ended, it'd be canned. There's no real activity, yet you'd get to see all the big-name companies hurting for diversity in their ranks talk heartily about their positive steps toward diversity. And now none of them actually have to do a damn thing.
If you really want to see real improvements in diversity: QUIT TALKING ABOUT IT.
Instead, judge people on the work they do (wow, what a concept!). If someone of the same race or religion as you gets fired for slacking off, don't fscking defend them! Don't encourage them to sue for discrimination. Tell them they were slacking off and are using a pitiful excuse to make your life worse.
Now we have employers that are afraid to hire someone of another color or rare religion because they are liable to sue when they *do* have to fire them. How the hell is that helping those of us of various skin color or religion trying to get jobs based on MERIT alone? "Oh, don't hire the Norwegians, they slack off and then complain about discrimination!"
Yes, there is *still* discrimination in the workplace, but it's more based on neptitism and favoritism than racism and gender issues. We don't live in the sixties anymore, the people that are doing the hiring got sprayed with fire hoses and attended peace rallies when they were kids. The people that focus on discrimination like it's a huge problem are often the most vile, unethical, and least work-hardy individuals I know.
If race or religion is an issue to you when I'm doing the hire, I'm going to move on to someone whose thinking about impressing me to get the job instead. You don't say things like: "I noticed that you don't have a lot of people of X color/religion, what are you doing to improve that?" Work is work, you become part of the "family" based upon what you can do for us.
Oh man, statement like that make me question my decision to purchase a Mac. Am I going to become that soft too?
Look, as a former MS employee, I remember the days when we had less than 15K employees, but could sell and ship, and make money for our shareholders(and ourselves) without all these societal distractions. Look at Microsoft today, and tell me if they are a better, more efficient organization than they were 10-15 years ago. I dont think they are, and I think issues like this are a reason.
What happened to the days when work was about WORK? Why do employees feel that the best use of their time is to push a personal social agenda, instead of their job?
Microsoft still makes money, but I would not call them 'successful' in the ways they used to be. I doubt that I am alone among people who were there in the old days who cringe that Microsoft is in the news because of their policy on Gay Rights, instead of their policy on shipping on time.
I dont think Steve Jobs would appreciate the kind of distraction this all must be for Ballmer right now, if it was his problem instead. All Microsoft did way buy more trouble. The old Microsoft would have told the employees to be Gay on their own time, but while at work, just shut up and code.
You are right that business can effect social policy, but does that does not mean that they should. All I want from Microsoft is bug-free software. Let them get that right first, and when they do, only then let them change the world.