Fisticuffs.com

Jeff Bezos says, Put up your dukes, NY Times;

The NYT article prominently features anecdotes describing shockingly callous management practices, including people being treated without empathy while enduring family tragedies and serious health problems. The article doesn’t describe the Amazon I know or the caring Amazonians I work with every day. But if you know of any stories like those reported, I want you to escalate to HR. You can also email me directly at jeff@amazon.com. Even if it’s rare or isolated, our tolerance for any such lack of empathy needs to be zero.

The article goes further than reporting isolated anecdotes. It claims that our intentional approach is to create a soulless, dystopian workplace where no fun is had and no laughter heard. Again, I don’t recognize this Amazon and I very much hope you don’t, either. More broadly, I don’t think any company adopting the approach portrayed could survive, much less thrive, in today’s highly competitive tech hiring market. The people we hire here are the best of the best. You are recruited every day by other world-class companies, and you can work anywhere you want.

I strongly believe that anyone working in a company that really is like the one described in the NYT would be crazy to stay. I know I would leave such a company.

And, by the way, meet your new co-worker;

...the New York Post reports that Jeff Bezos has agreed to pay Jeremy Clarkson of Top Gear fame $250 million.

That’s right. The guy who got into a catering temper tantrum and assaulted someone — but who also happens to have one of the most popular shows of all time — is raking in a stellar paycheck. The Post states the deal is worth $250 million for three years and 36 episodes.