Insane Video Of A Bunch Of Condé Nast Employees Confronting Their Head Of HR After Several Employees Were Laid Off As A Result Of A Merger

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Source - Video footage shows Condé Nast employees confronting the company’s head of human resources — part of an incident that management characterized as “extreme misconduct” leading to four unionized staffers’ firings, a framing which their union rejects.

The clips, filmed Wednesday outside HR chief Stan Duncan’s 34th-floor office at One World Trade Center in Lower Manhattan, show about 20 editorial staffers asking to discuss layoffs tied to Teen Vogue’s merger with Vogue.com.  

Duncan declines to engage, repeatedly directing employees to “go back to the workplace” before retreating into an office, video obtained by the Wrap shows. 

Hours later, Condé Nast fired four union members who participated in the confrontation — Jasper Lo of the New Yorker, Jake Lahut of Wired, Alma Avalle of Bon Appétit and Ben Dewey of Condé Nast Entertainment — citing “gross misconduct and policy violations.”  

Condé Nast also filed a federal labor complaint against the NewsGuild of New York.

I am so confused…what is the end game here? What did they think was going to happen? That Condé Nast would suddenly see things their way, reverse the layoffs, and everyone would go on with their day? That they would undo the merger, one that I'm sure took months (if not years) of due diligence, so that Sally in accounting can keep her job? Change the strategic course of a seven-THOUSAND person company so that a few delusionally entitled employees don't have to deal with the "trauma" of their workplace acquaintances being laid off?  Give me a break. The fact that everyone in it wasn't immediately escorted off the premises and terminated is insane. 

I don't want to make this a generational issue, but I promise you it wasn't Boomers causing the issue. Read the confrontation and you'll see what I mean… 

One clip shows Duncan asking the employees to stop “congregating” outside his office before telling them to leave. 

“What counts as congregating?” Lahut asks. “What’s your definition of congregating?” 

“We’d appreciate if you would go back to the workplace, to your workplace assignments,” Duncan replies. 

“Is there a place that you’d be able to speak to us?” Avalle asks Duncan. “Do you think we’re not worth speaking to, Sam?” 

“Those are your words, not mine,” Duncan replies, saying he could not speak to them on Wednesday due to “other things going on.” 

“But they might be your beliefs!” Avalle says. “They’re not my beliefs,” Duncan replies. 

After Avalle presses him on his refusal to answer questions, Duncan insists: “I’ve directed you back to your workplace.” 

“We’re concerned about our colleagues!” an employee says off camera. 

Again…not to point fingers, but there is only one generation of people who believe that their "concerns" should be everyone else's as well. Looking at you, Gen Z. These people grew up in a time where the cultural narrative around business was "people over profits" at all costs. Which is admirable, but infantile. So when they see real business taking place (ie layoffs etc) their first reaction is to become angry because that's what's been engrained in them. It's not their fault, but it's a grossly misguided way to view the world. What they should do is be happy that they have a fucking job. I'm not saying layoffs don't stink - they do. I'm just saying that a little perspective is never a bad thing. That and Stan Duncan deserves a raise. 

Let this blog serve as a friendly reminder that of how important it is to have an attitude of gratitude. Count your blessings, my friends. You never know how long you'll have them. Thanks for reading.