'We will not tolerate it': Google warns employees planning to join sit-in protest; read full memo

Google's head of global security, Chris Rackow, addressed recent sit-in protests at the company’s New York and Sunnyvale offices, leading to the firing of 28 employees. Rackow's communication came after these protests, which were linked to discontent over Google's involvement in the controversial Project Nimbus, escalated into the occupation of office spaces and other disruptive actions.

The memo (via The Verge) detailed the sequence of events where the company claims the employees defaced property and obstructed the work of their colleagues. The actions are described as "unacceptable" and "extremely disruptive." As a result of their conduct, those involved were initially cut off from company systems and placed under investigation.

Rackow’s note was clear in its message that such behavior violates Google’s Code of Conduct along with several other internal policies related to workplace behavior, including policies on Harassment, Discrimination, Retaliation, Standards of Conduct, and Workplace Concerns. He emphasized that the company would continue its investigations and take necessary actions against any such disruptions, reiterating that the tech giant will not tolerate violations of its established standards.

The memo also served as a reminder to all Google employees about the expectation to adhere to company policies and the seriousness with which the company views breaches of conduct. Rackow warned, "The overwhelming majority of our employees do the right thing. If you’re one of the few who are tempted to think we’re going to overlook conduct that violates our policies, think again."

This strong stance underscores Google's commitment to maintaining a professional environment and indicates that further discussions on standards of behavior and workplace discourse will be forthcoming. This incident not only highlights internal challenges but also reflects broader issues related to employee activism and corporate governance within the tech industry.

Following is the memo sent to Google employees (via The Verge): 
 

Serious consequences for disruptive behavior

Googlers,

You may have seen reports of protests at some of our offices yesterday. Unfortunately, a number of employees brought the event into our buildings in New York and Sunnyvale. They took over office spaces, defaced our property, and physically impeded the work of other Googlers. Their behavior was unacceptable, extremely disruptive, and made coworkers feel threatened. We placed employees involved under investigation and cut their access to our systems. Those who refused to leave were arrested by law enforcement and removed from our offices.

Following investigation, today we terminated the employment of twenty-eight employees found to be involved. We will continue to investigate and take action as needed.

Behavior like this has no place in our workplace and we will not tolerate it. It clearly violates multiple policies that all employees must adhere to — including our Code of Conduct and Policy on Harassment, Discrimination, Retaliation, Standards of Conduct, and Workplace Concerns.

We are a place of business and every Googler is expected to read our policies and apply them to how they conduct themselves and communicate in our workplace. The overwhelming majority of our employees do the right thing. If you’re one of the few who are tempted to think we’re going to overlook conduct that violates our policies, think again. The company takes this extremely seriously, and we will continue to apply our longstanding policies to take action against disruptive behavior — up to and including termination.

You should expect to hear more from leaders about standards of behavior and discourse in the workplace.