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Grindr loses nearly half its staff to strict return-to-work rule

https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2023-09-07/grindr-loses-nearly-half-its-staff-to-strict-return-to-work-rule

Grindr has lost about 45% of its staff as it enforces a strict return-to-office policy that was introduced after a majority of employees announced a plan to unionize.

About 80 of the 178 employees at the LGBTQ+ dating app company resigned after the company in August mandated that workers return to work in person two days a week at assigned “hub” offices or be fired, the Communications Workers of America said in a statement Wednesday.

The West Hollywood-based company also gave a severance package to staff who were unable to relocate, in what the CWA alleged was an attempt “to silence workers from speaking out about their working conditions,” according to a statement from the organization. The CWA filed a new labor complaint against the company on Wednesday, the second such complaint in about a month.

10 comments

dethb0y

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Just think of the money saved in severance by them quitting instead of being fired, which is probably the plan all along.

jimmylongbawlz

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Never quit, make them fire you.

nobodyspecial

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This is the plan, but it's always a bad one. The people hopping jobs are the top performers, ones with marketable resumes that get snapped up even in a weak market. The ones forced to remain either feel less marketable or are less marketable for a number of reasons.

It's extreme short term thinking that leads to both morale and performance issues sooner than leadership expects.

Franzia

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This is often, but not always, Constructive Dismissal. When it is, workers are entitled to severance but need to jump through some hoops with the NLRB to get that money.

bloodfoot

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Sure but the high performers are usually the first ones out the door. That’s arguably gonna cost them more in the long run but who cares about the long run when this quarter’s profits are so high.

DEngineer

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Good companies that don't realize they don't own their employees should suffer. Maybe if a few go under for horrible policies, workers will start to use their upper hands.

xantoxis

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So I'm confused, are the remaining employees still going to unionize? That would be a sweet kick in the teeth.

nobodyspecial

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Being in the same location at the same time certainly seems like it'd make organizing and meeting with union reps easier. And with more motivation to do so due to crappier working conditions. I'd say it's more likely the remainder will unionize, yeah. And then have the union push for WFH.

BonesOfTheMoon

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You would think an LGBTQ app would be run by chill people who would be fine with their staff being happy.

geosoco

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I think it used to be when it was founded, but it's been bought and sold a bunch since then so the priorities likely became money over chill.