Tech CEO Apologizes For Using Martin Luther King Jr. Quote In Cringey Memo Laying Off Workers

\u201cAll time classic bad layoff announcement: CEO of PagerDuty opens with "Hi Dutonians," takes 370 words to get to the layoffs bit, continues for another *1250 words*, and ends with "I am reminded in moments like this, of something Martin Luther King said..." https://t.co/OAg4SjqYIm\u201d

— Tom Gara (@Tom Gara) 1674598203

\u201cThe most tone-deaf layoff email I read so far was written yesterday, and it comes from PagerDuty CEO Jennifer Tejada.\n\nThe email is vey long, and feels like it was written by an AI that took all the phrases that people usually say, and put it one long email.\n\nSee for yourself:\u201d

— Gergely Orosz (@Gergely Orosz) 1674647608

\u201cIt should be against the law, as it is against decency and basic human etiquette, for non-ADOS people to quote Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. \nI am a black American woman who is ADOS, and I "hate" \u2014 and I cannot emphasize this enough \u2014 "hate" non-ADOS people, quoting Dr. King\u201d

— Andy (@Andy) 1675064537

\u201cLet\u2019s not lose sight of the fact that some hard working and real humans lost their jobs at PagerDuty this week. They should not get lost in the shadow of that disgusting post their CEO wrote.\u201d

— jorn is at #CloudNativeSecurityCon (@jorn is at #CloudNativeSecurityCon) 1674660848

\u201cIf your cost reduction doesn't include severe cuts to executive compensation then everything else you say is just business speak. We know you're just copy catting other tech companies to appease your vampire investors @pagerduty \n\nhttps://t.co/9GXQ5DboQw\u201d

— sisterwife (@sisterwife) 1674597142

\u201cThis\u2026is nuts. A wild rice of an e-mail.\n\nAnnouncing layoffs(refinements) and promotions WHILE mentioning successful the company has been?\n\nShe\u2019s lucky people didn\u2019t show up with pitchforks\u201d

— Kierra | Data Conversationalist\ud83c\udf99 (@Kierra | Data Conversationalist\ud83c\udf99) 1674674155

\u201c\ud83d\udc4b @pagerduty \n\nMaybe don't quote MLK when firing 7% of your workforce? https://t.co/Zf4VCyy800\n\n(and yes I'm dunking but I think something broke inside of me today when a friend texted me this in light of the last few weeks / months... JFC so many idiots wielding power)\u201d

— Noah Chestnut (@Noah Chestnut) 1674586810

\u201cIf PagerDuty had a union they should go on strike over this.\u201d

— Chickadee In Flight\u26a2 (@Chickadee In Flight\u26a2) 1675013657

\u201cDear fellow white people: DO NOT use MLK Jr Quotes for your takes. You will undoubtedly use in the wrong and/or a harmful context. Just stop. Don\u2019t do it. Go elsewhere. Use something else. Simple https://t.co/LqIAhMQGpg\u201d

— Polemic muse (@Polemic muse) 1674847392

\u201c1) Indeed, tone deaf & insensitive\n2) Senior #management (HR?) surely saw her letter before release = questionable corporate culture\n3) An apology is one small step forward. Actions matter. Good to monitor this CEO & the company\nhttps://t.co/ccMGgGnuMk #PagerDuty #JenniferTejada\u201d

— I've Been Mugged (@I've Been Mugged) 1675178049