Netflix fired 3 execs for criticizing peers on Slack

What is going on in Netflix‘s Slack channels?

Three senior employees at Netflix were fired by the company after criticizing their co-workers over Slack, according to the company’s CEO, after a report claimed that the workers were let go for bad-mouthing their bosses.

The Hollywood Reporter first reported that the streaming giant fired three senior marketing executives for comments aimed at leadership in what the workers thought was a private channel, citing sources.

However, Netlfix is singing a different tune. Ted Sarandos, the company’s co-CEO, denied that the office gossip was directed at management, but at other workers at Netflix, which went against company ethics.

“What happened here was unfortunately not simply venting on Slack or a single conversation,” Sarandos said in a LinkedIn comment on July 17. “These were critical, personal comments made over several months about their peers (not their management as suggested by The Hollywood Reporter) – including during meetings when those peers were talking or presenting.

“This is entirely inconsistent with those values, which is why their manager fired them. It’s also worth noting that we don’t proactively monitor Slack or email. The Slack channel was open so anyone could access the conversations even though the employees concerned thought it was private.”

Not so private conversations

In the initial report by The Hollywood Reporter, the outlet said that the three executives allegedly criticized chief marketing officer Bozoma Saint John.

Netflix said it “deemed the conversation to be inconsistent with its core values,” according to the report.

“Their culture is all about transparency and giving feedback,” an insider said. “It would make sense that there should be no need for private conversation.”

Their conversations – which they thought were private – were uncovered by another employee who found “several months’ worth of messages” and then reported it, the outlet reported.

However, not everyone wanted them to fired.

Jonathan Helfot, VP of original films marketing and the immediate boss of the trio, was reportedly one of the people the employees complained. Despite being the target of the wrath, Helfgot was “extremely reluctant to fire” them, the report said, citing sources.

Helfgot reportedly agreed that such criticism is simply employees ranting about day-to-day work issues, but apparently, he felt heat by higher-ups which forced his hand in the firings.

It’s worth noting that Sarandos “personally recruited” Saint John when he hired her from Endeavor in June 2020, according to The Hollywood Reporter. She had previously worked at Uber and Apple.

Following Sarandos’ response to the firings, Saint John tweeted: “Because Ted Sarandos is a real one (and so is Reed Hastings and all my colleagues) who uphold our @netflix culture values.”