19 comments

  • Cade D, 9 years ago

    It's sad and pretty damning to Github that it had to come to a senior member of staff resigning and going public about it before anything was done.

    This tweet by Horvath is relevant:

    I'm glad it's being addressed now, but don't congratulate and praise an org that knew and refused to act for over a year.

    18 points
    • Joe BarberJoe Barber, 9 years ago

      This. It's really strange to me how many people are just like "Great job Github, you're handling this so well!" When in reality it's because they haven't been handling it well for over a year that we're all hearing about it now.

      8 points
      • Maurice CherryMaurice Cherry, 9 years ago

        Couldn't agree more. People are rushing to pat GitHub on the back for this update, but it's been a long time coming. I really do hope this means substantial change for them.

        1 point
  • Charlie PrattCharlie Pratt, 9 years ago

    Wow, banning the wife. That conversation couldn't have been fun.

    11 points
  • Joshua SortinoJoshua Sortino, 9 years ago

    It seems to me that the entire situation was caused by poorly managed HR, not just a few "sexist" employees. While sexism played an early role in the situation, Julie's synopsis left me with the impression that the co-founder's overbearing wife was the main source of the problems.

    I just wish these issues could have been settled privately instead of publicly. It sucks for everyone when it comes to this. :(

    5 points
    • Andrew LiebchenAndrew Liebchen, 9 years ago

      The wife may have been the source of the problem, but the organization's inability to recognize and deal with that problem is one of the core issues.

      0 points
    • Gonçalo MoraisGonçalo Morais, 9 years ago

      Exactly my thoughts.

      1 point
    • Tim GauthierTim Gauthier, 9 years ago

      yup, great work. Shame it escalated to this. I wonder why legal wasn't involved earlier.

      Honestly it sounds like a case of abuse, its hard to reach outside that bubble, especially when you isolate yourself thinking that there are spies etc in the company. I've seen this tactic used by Human traffickers and people who exploit people. The idea of making someone think that even the law is against you. It is a shame she was bullied and hurt so badly. I honestly hope that somehow she can get further help beyond just a new job. Actual counselling and help in regards to the situations she was in. She will probably have problems with any situations that are similar in the future.

      2 points
  • Nic TrentNic Trent, 9 years ago

    Great response.

    5 points
  • Catalin CimpanuCatalin Cimpanu, 9 years ago

    At least their PR staff isn't fumbling and tripping over themselves like their HR department.

    They deserve every penny. :wink: :wink:

    4 points
  • Dirk HCM van BoxtelDirk HCM van Boxtel, 9 years ago

    They had me at:

    GitHub has grown incredibly fast over the past two years,

    The first step in solving an issue is acknowledging it, and that bit encapsulates all of it.

    Great response, and the fact that he ends with what sounds like a sincere apology is just icing on the cake.

    4 points
  • James Young, 9 years ago

    Sounds about as fair and decisive a public response a company could make in the light of such serious accusations while they investigate.

    3 points
  • Sarah ParmenterSarah Parmenter, 9 years ago

    Very well balanced response. Glad to see them taking some form of action, at least.

    2 points
  • Andrew LiebchenAndrew Liebchen, 9 years ago

    Its strange that there's been hardly a whimper on this dispute here.

    1 point
  • Art VandelayArt Vandelay, 9 years ago

    In this case, good HR would've trumped any 'response' the PR team could've released.

    While it's upsetting this kinda stuff happens, there are tons of details missing, hopefully some light will be shed from both parties.

    0 points
  • Taurean BryantTaurean Bryant, 9 years ago

    Is it strange that it took them over a year to find a competent HR lead? That seems like a long time for finding a single hire.

    0 points
    • Anthony DinesAnthony Dines, 9 years ago

      I can't speak for Github, but a few shops I've been at in my career have taken that long (or even longer) to find a good fit. With that role, it's increasingly less about hiring the classic HR position than it is about finding a candidate that fits the companies culture. Seems to always be a difficult thing to find, especially as companies get further and further away from typical corporate cultures.

      3 points
      • Taurean BryantTaurean Bryant, 9 years ago

        I was hoping for a response like this. It sounded strange to me at first, thanks for shedding some light on that.

        0 points
      • John FlynnJohn Flynn, 9 years ago

        Unfortunately, it sounds like they had a pretty toxic culture over there. Maybe finding HR that fits that mold isn't the best idea for some companies.

        1 point