Basecamp bans political conversations and removes employee benefits
Talking politics at work is a long tradition for many office workers, but it’s now a no-go at U.S. software company Basecamp.
In a blog post on Monday, Basecamp co-founder and CEO Jason Fried announced a ban on “societal and political discussions” on the company’s online workplaces. While work-from-home has become widespread during the COVID-19 pandemic, Basecamp has long been a remote work company.
- Basecamp’s CEO Jason Fried announced banning social and political discussions at the company. Beyond that, the company is also getting rid of certain employee benefits, committees, and 360 performance reviews.
- On the benefits front, employees will no longer be able to access fitness benefits, a wellness allowance, a farmer’s market share or support for continuing education. However, the company has already paid out every employee the full cash value of those benefits for this year. Additionally, the company will instead pay employees a 10% profit-share.
Jason announced a raft of changes we’ve made to Basecamp earlier today. By far the most controversial is a new etiquette around societal politics at work, and the stances we’ll take as a company. So to expand on that, here’s a segment from what I wrote internally on that topic, as part of the announcement to employees at Basecamp.
For more than 10 years, some Basecamp employees maintained an open list of customer names that sounded “funny” to them.
Last year, amid a broader reckoning over diversity and inclusion, that list didn’t seem quite so funny any more. And employees wanted to talk about it.
— Casey Newton (@CaseyNewton) April 28, 2021
It's hypocritical how Basecamp is now a "leave politics at home" company. For months, their cofounder was in the news criticizing everyone. It's only a problem when their employees want the same privileges/freedoms on matters directly affecting them.
— Jaana Dogan ヤナ ドガン 💉⏳ (@rakyll) April 26, 2021
Excited to read the new “Shut up and work.” book by the Basecamp guys!
— Jon Kuperman (@jkup) April 26, 2021
love that basecamp marketed itself on rejection of capitalism + "company culture" for literal decades to pivot into the purest form of capitalist, white enterprise where only your work matters, because inherently you are not a human, just means of production.
— fantastic ms. (@fox) April 27, 2021
Oh shit someone brought politics to Basecamp pic.twitter.com/jRbMhR0Ic5
— Siân Griffin 🏳️⚧️🏳️🌈 (@sgrif) April 26, 2021
Basecamp to Apple: “We do all the work. We deserve more than 70%.”
Basecamp to Employees: “You deserve 10%.”— Ben Sandofsky (@sandofsky) April 26, 2021
Basecamp to Apple: “We do all the work. We deserve more than 70%.”
Basecamp to Employees: “You deserve 10%.”— Ben Sandofsky (@sandofsky) April 26, 2021
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