Jim Ryan ticks off some employees

https://www.pushsquare.com/news/2022/05/playstation-staff-angry-about-jim-ryan-email-on-abortion-rights

Basically, Ryan on the abortion issue after the leaked Roe v Wade Supreme court decision said to "respect the differences of opinion" regarding abortion. Which I think is a good thing to say, and yet those who want unrestricted abortion access are fuming.

Without getting into the abortion debate, I personally I agree with this approach by Ryan

This was already posted here bud

I didn't see it.. is it locked or just not on the first page (or am I blind LOL)

James "silly boy" Ryan

Wimpy response

Those employees should take this issue up with HR and management, instead of leaking internal emails to the press... My biggest issue with this is if Jim Ryan stated he was pro-choice, the email doesn't get leaked. But because he's asking employees to respect differences of opinion, we need Jim Ryan canceled.

I really do not see how is this is even relevant to gaming.

@onesiphorus: Same.

Move to political gamers maybe?

@regnaston: Those angry employees need to stop being so f**king woke.

The Wokeing Dead. lol :P

You mean they shouldn't voice their opinion on issues unless they agree?

Not sure if it's locked, but it didn't get many replies.

Please fire ol lying Ryan Sony.

Well they wouldn't have a problem with Jim Ryan if his stance was the same as theirs. We don't even know if he's pro-life or pro-choice. We just know he didn't 100% align with the leakers opinion on the matter. This is the pickle that "woke" culture puts everyone in.

I'm not one of those anti cancel culture folks. People have gotten away with terrible behavior for far too long. But stiff like this. Employees leaking internal emails because they don't like the position their boss is taking, is childish and spineless. Go to HR, send Jim an email, talk to a manager. Don't anomalously leak some shit to the press, riling up the hate mobs on the internet...

Commenting on hot button political topics at the workplace is usually a recipe for chaos.

This may need to be moved to PG.

I'm getting an itchy trigger finger (keyboard finger) and nobody wants that here. lol :P

sony, what a shitty company being so political. JR should focus on making more movie games.

You are talking about "woke" culture putting everyone who doesn't align with them in a bind when the reality is that this is literally a common practice in human society across all groups. It is so bizarre that the folks who cry "woke" literally participate in the same behavior. 😂

If Jim posted an email to all of his employees it is not much a private matter but stance that he is positioning the company. A "leak" is not required for that stance to become public. He has a stance and people disagree. It feels as though folks disagreeing with anything someone states or post is always the focal point. It is as if we previously lived in a world in which everyone agreed until the last 8 years.

Oh it's a JS leak, this is more than likely a nothing burger. JS trying his hardest to stay relevant by cooking up some controversy.

No. Politics should not exist in the workplace. Half the country disagrees with abortion in at least some level, and abortion is a very polarizing issue. Talking about it in a workplace forum creates a hostile work environment and is actually a form of harassment in most states.

Good call on Jim not picking a side. If he had publicly supported one side he would have had pissed off employees and consumers regardless of which side it was. Damned if you do, damned if you don’t.

exactly, what a shitty boss JR is. Keep this stuff to himself.

Oh come on... You know DAMN WELL that this social media justice stuff is a newer thing. Don't like something, post about it on twitter. Record someone making an ass of themself, post it on YouTube. Etc... I'm not a conservative, and don't agree with 90% of the stuff happening recently is actually "canceling" people. But this email leak and what was said by Jim Ryan is 100% an employee that is pro-choice looking to gain some clout. In fact, the leak is ironically 100% what Jim Ryan was talking about in the email. An employee chose not to respect Jim Ryans stance on the subject, and leaked it to the press. Why would an employee do that? They are going for Jim's head. Is that not an attempt to "cancel" Jim Ryan? Or are they trying to get their 5 minutes of internet fame? If not, what is it?

The story and all of the information surrounding it refers to this as a leak, since it was an internal email. And actually, leaking the email could result in disciplinary action or termination of employment. But we all know how that will be spun.

He didn't even express his opinion on the matter. He just told his employees to, "respect the differences of opinion," and "Respect does not equal agreement. But it is fundamental to who we are as a company and as a valued global brand." Sure, we can speculate that Jim is pro-life, but he never states or expresses that opinion. I think the email was an attempt to squash any contention among employees over the SCOTUS leak. But all Jim did was make it worse... He shouldn't have sent the email. Somebody with more HR training and writing skills should have written a memo if PlayStation thought it was 100% necessary to say something. This did more harm than good

I don't have an issue with what he said, it's the fact that he said it.

You have to be aware of your position and the things you shouldnt say.

It was going to start a fire no matter WHAT he said. Just don't, Jim.

He then went on to talk about cats which was just tone deaf

I don't like Jim Ryan anyway. He really should have been like the other gaming companies and just not said anything, but he has an innate ability to give an uninformed opinion on everything and stirring up hornets nests. Like how he said the middle east didn't have games before Playstation. I know this wasn't meant to be a public statement, but this is a serious issue. The reason people are mad is because he strictly forbade the other Sony studios from commenting.

@girlusocrazy: I CLEARLY said social media justice.

The mobs a bigger, access is easier, and reach is much further.

Imagine being such an extremist in your ideology that someone saying "respect differences of opinion" is seen as being radical and offensive.

Social media justice? You mean that only one group of people take to the social media platform and the rest is silent? Is that what you are trying to imply? Everything on social media is standard human behavior, that has been the same since our existence. The platform doesn't create "new" behavior it just allows for existing behavior to be transmitted faster. Please refer to the wealth of documented human history as reference.

Making Jim's views public is just that, making his views public. Would this be getting this much attention if the views each party were flipped or is it purely because the current alignment of the views that is sparking "outrage"? Is his views private if he shared it via email with employees? How is it disrespecting his views? How is an anonymous employee getting 5 minutes of fame?

This is playing out like every other fake outrage and each side is doing what they do best.😅

The reason we have this level of division is because of the stupidity behind the culture of not discussing politics. This leads people to be more extreme, isolated and resistant to meaningful discussion.

people don't get it, but in the work place, just keep your political thoughts to yourself. I myself am pro life. I don't like abortions, its a gross topic for me, but end of the day you also got to respect the peoples own choice. So i'm divided on it. But one thing you don't do is to bring this stuff up in the workplace, especially something thats a political bomb like this is and especially not now in this climate.

Kind of like how Bungie came out as being against what the supreme court was doing , but everyone praised that .. kind of hypocritical by the community IMO.. you can have an opinion as long as it agrees with mine.. if yours disagrees with mine, then shut your mouth.. if you are not taking sides (like Jim Ryan did) then you are also my enemy

I don't understanding your reasoning. How is it hypocritical for "everyone" to praise Bungie and be critical of Jim?

Isn't the norm for people to be in favor of views that align and not in favor when it is misaligned? Why is any of this being treated as something unusual or new?

No no no. I'm not saying this is a "liberal" thing like you're implying. "Both sides" get on social media and scream and yell. What's "new," is that you and I, or anyone has a platform to express whatever opinion we have. Whenever, whatever, however and to whoever on the planet. Humans have never had that ability before. You had to be famous or important to have that sort of reach.

The email being leaked is clout chasing and a "cancel" attempt. How you don't see that is beyond me. If Jim came out against the SCOTUS leak, we wouldn't hear about it unless Jim sent it to the press himself. Why? The tech industry is heavily left leaning, politically. So ANYTHING that goes against those norms, is a problem and sent directly to Jason Schreier for some reason...

It was an internal email, subject to disciplinary action is handled inappropriately. He didn't even share his views. He asked that his employees respect each others opinions... And the goofball that leaked the email is 100% basking in their internet fame right now. Until they're dealt with that is

This thread still open?

the fact they think Jim should not have said anything (journalists included). I don't care if the average person thinks Jim shouldn't have said something or is against him...it is when journalists take sides that it becomes concerning

The thread is fine.

Sony's taken stances on other political issues before though. Overturning a 50 year old civil right that most people took for granted is going to be a white hot issue. Jim's email is particularly weird because he followed up the statement with a bizarre non-sequitur about owning cats and dogs. It's tone deaf. It has that "sheltered twit" energy to it. It was really better to stay mum about it.

What?!?!

It's not the same thing when people like The Quartering, Joe Rogan, Anita Sarkeesian, Tim Poole, Zoe Quinn etc can reach MILLIONS of people with a couple clicks. These people wouldn't have the voice, reach or ability 20 years ago...

Things are more chaotic, louder and more divisive because of all the additional voices, many not worthy of such power, making all this noise on topics they know little, to nothing about. And the hundreds of thousands of people that will blindly follow people for a sense of team and belonging. It's what's been going on through human history like you said, but 10000000X bigger and with no way of controlling any of it

yeah .. we are not discussing the rightness or wrongness of abortion.. we are discussing reaction to Jim's email

No they don't. You know damn well that's not the case... People want someone to tell them what to think, make decisions for them, and make them feel like they're part of a team. It's like that in politics, sports, hell even video games. People don't use their own brains. They let tribalism dictate their opinion

The leaker must be pretty irrational to try to do him in because he took a neutral stance. That's weak af imo

Journalist are not allowed to take sides? Since when?

How is it better to have this out in the open? Again, Jim Ryan didn't express an opinion. Jim asked his employees to respect others opinions. At face value, that's a big nothing statement. In todays political climate, that statement is a hand grenade. People are all bent out of shape because their twitter timeline says they should be.

I'm not saying people should stay unaware. But people are getting outraged, upset, and angered by things they wouldn't care about otherwise. Jim Ryan's email was tone deaf and ignorant. But it doesn't warrant an employee leaking an internal email to the press. Or the hundreds of thousands of people being "outraged" on social media. But THAT'S the world we live in today...