To Mr. Troy Goode,
We, the undersigned, are Lanetix employees who have helped build a product and a company. We look back on our years of taxing effort with pride, knowing that we have pushed forward both the state of the art and the cause of a diverse, inclusive, professional software industry.
Your decision to fire [Jane] - with no warning, breaking with all past practice - shocked us. She was a valued co-worker whose contributions to the company were obvious, and to our knowledge there has never been cause to question her capabilities or performance. Her manifest intelligence, skill, and professionalism under trying circumstances were an inspiration to us all. But [Jane]'s greatest contribution to the team was her willingness to hear the grievances we shared with one another and bring them to you.
[Jane] was an effective advocate for all of us, especially for those women who joined her here in an attempt to build careers in an industry in which the deck is stacked against them. She spoke up, most visibly about Paid Time Off, but on many other issues as well. As such, her sudden termination – with no explanation from the company – has been a cause of alarm and concern for [Jane]’s co-workers. We believe women and we believe in women like [Jane]. She is not only an advocate for her peers at Lanetix, but women in tech everywhere; her moral compass, empathy, and strong convictions are to be admired. In an industry lacking diversity, losing her at Lanetix is a blow to our core values.
Lanetix engineers have enjoyed vibrant conversations about our working lives in person and through media of our own creation. Your decision to retaliate against us for discussing the terms and conditions of our employment and approaching you through representatives like [Jane], fully believing you would do right by us, is deeply hurtful and unjust.
We've come to you because we believe the culture we've built at Lanetix is worth fighting for and are eager to retain our valued colleagues. The lack of transparency surrounding the termination of [Jane]’s employment has undermined what was, until very recently, a solid working relationship between employees and management. We bring these concerns to management with the aim of fostering open and serious dialogue.
We have two simple requests for you:
- Do right by [Jane].
- Recognize that we have a right to discuss work with our coworkers and bring concerns to management as a group, and cease trying to prevent such communication.
Sincerely,
[redacted: the majority of engineers signed this letter]