Netflix sounds like a terrible place to work


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A “culture” document sent to staff at Netflix last week suggests they might be happier working somewhere else if the streaming giant’s content offends them.

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The New York Postreports that after the internal strife created by Dave Chappelle’s recent comedy special, The CloserNetflix issued an employment memo describing the corporate culture and advising disgruntled workers that it values ​​“artistic expression” from content creators more than it does the beliefs or lifestyles of each employee.

“As employees we support the principle that Netflix offers a diversity of stories, even if we find some titles counter to our own personal values,” reads the document titled “Netflix Culture—Seeking Excellence.

Whether this outline of the company culture was prompted by the protests over Chapelle’s show last fall is not clear.

However, what the post views as a warning to ‘the woke’, others will see as a document worth reading for the way it inadvertently reveals what a terrible place Netflix must be to work.

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“Depending on your role, you may need to work on titles you perceive to be harmful,” the document reads. “If you’d find it hard to support our content breadth, Netflix may not be the best place for you.”

Some of Chapelle’s jokes in The Closer are perceived to be at the expense of transgender individuals and have been loudly protested by several advocacy groups, such as the National Black Justice Coalition.

Netflix staffers staged a walkout over the special; Chappelle is accused of transphobia.

The document states, “While every title is different, we approach them based on the same set of principles: we support the artistic expression of the creators we choose to work with; we program for a diversity of audiences and tastes; and we let viewers decide what’s appropriate for them, versus having Netflix censor specific artists or voices.”

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Despite the emphasis on artistic expression and the keen minds at work at Netflix, a list of valued behaviors among staffers states as the first order of business under the ‘Passion’ heading: “You care deeply about Netflix’s success.”

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And there’s this: “We model ourselves on being a professional sports team, not a family. A family is about unconditional love. A dream team is about pushing yourself to be the best possible teammate, caring intensely about your team, and knowing that you may not be on the team forever.”

There’s a reminder, too, that a dream team may not be for everyone.

Arch and deeply condescending, the document includes a pep talk about the responsibility, accountability and self-discipline that, “drives us to do great work.”

And the goal?

“Creating a strong sense of caring for Netflix so that people do what is best for the company.”

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