Thread by @fharper

As you know, I’ve been laid off by @npmjs last Friday after a “reorg". They offered me a severance package equivalent to two weeks of my salary, which is “fair" as they didn’t had to and I was new: they hired me 4 months ago.

@npmjs The package came with an agreement containing a non-disparagement clause (same as @neverett mentioned). Fortunately, I’m lucky and privilege enough to be able to declined the @npmjs “offer” since having to keep quiet about what happened would be against my values.

Part because, it’s who I am, and because I care deeply about people in general, but specifically in this case, about the @npmjs community and the @nodejs / @the_jsf one. I also care about the wonderful humans I’ve work with during the last four months.

I’m also extremely privilege as I said. Not because I’m better, but I’m a white man, living in North America, having a respectable career and a great network. I also have money set aside, so all together, finding my next challenge after @npmjs will be easier than for most people.

Keeping all this in mind, I declined the document that was asking me to basically shut up about what happened. This thread may seems like a way for me to give back to the people who betrayed me at @npmjs , maybe it’s the case, but it’s also so the community know, because I care!

@npmjs I’ve lost my job three time in the past not because I wasn’t able to do the work, because they had to. In previous occasions, I’ve meet with manager or founder who were sad to have to make this move, who cared. This time, @npmjs laid me off by hiring a third party contractor.

@npmjs Which means none of the @npmjs management was in the meeting to tell me they were letting me go. My direct manager, who cares a lot about people & that I like a lot, didn’t even know as I booked a flight for a conference, with her approval, 1-2 days before!

I found it was a total lack of respect, and I’m not sure if it’s by fear of retaliation, but no other @npmjs manager ping me in private after to apologize and check if I was fine. Which is heartbreaking for me as I’m naive enough to consider some of them friends.

@npmjs Maybe you’ll read that thread and will say that I’m extremely un-professional by doing it, and you may be right, but I think it’s my duty to share my story, so nobody else get caught in a situation like this. I’m also privilege to have a network that believe and trust me!

Who could have known we would get laid off? The @npmjs meeting description was about giving feedback for the all-hands we had 2-3 weeks before. So to add on top of having a nearly stranger telling me I wouldn’t have the job I loved so much, it was done in a “fake” meeting!

So today, I share this, yes, let’s be true, I’m hurt by the @npmjs situation. Financially, as I don’t have a pay check anymore for now and no matter your network or expertise, it take 1-3 months to land a good job. I lost my bread and butter last Friday.

@npmjs But I’m also hurt because the people I cared about, treated me like if I was no one, like if I didn’t deserve to have someone from @npmjs tell me the bad news. People I loved, who at the moment all my accounts were turned off (which was during the meeting), never looked back.

@npmjs But even more than me, myself and I, I’m sad because @npmjs is such an important part of our world in tech and I’m afraid to see where it’s going. I believe in a lot of wombats who are still there, but most don’t have the power to stop this madness, unfortunately.

@npmjs So today, I’m putting myself on the line, because, yes, I’m vocal, yes I’m usually bold and yes I have the right to say what I have to say, but it’s still a scary shit to be public about what happened at @npmjs, because it’s who I am, I don’t want to hurt others.

@npmjs But I’ve been lucky enough to bounce back in many situations, still, I firmly believe that we need to be better in the tech industry. What’s sad, is that this white guy here being laid off by @npmjs is probably far from the worst that happens to women, people of color and many...

@npmjs What is making this lay off hard on me, is that I also have confidence issue since my depression even if it doesn’t look like it. Being laid off doesn’t help at all, and since I care a lot, it’s also a burden for me that I wasn’t alone and for my friends still at @npmjs

@npmjs It’s also the fact it was totally unexpected. @npmjs is in the best place they could ever be to be a profitable AND human company. I also got ONLY 100% positive feedback on my work, so, were they lying to me? It’s not easy on the confidence side.

@npmjs So on that note, if you think you shouldn’t hire me after all I’ve said on my experience at my last day at @npmjs , please don’t, I would understand. Still, I will continue to help developers being successful, and I really hope that the project continue in the right direction!

Oh, if you want to add to the discussion about my or other stories about the @npmjs layoff, I guess it will be easier to use a hashtag..

#npmlayoffs

@npmjs Oh and, please share if my story resonate with you. In life, it’s about awarenesses and it’s time for us to be treated like we deserve… #npmlayoffs

To be clear, I’ll say it again! There are a lot of great people at @npmjs, people who cares about other and the community, people that are extremely talented and work hard to give the community a great tool like the CLI #npmlayoffs

Oh, and as you know, I'm looking for a new developer relations role, so feel free to share my profile in your network or RT this tweet (that would mean a lot to me) linkedin.com/in/frederichar… #npmlayoffs

It's making me sad how some are missing the point of #npmlayoffs. It’s not about losing our jobs: it happens/happened/will happen again. It’s the total lack of respect, empathy and professionalism of the process. It shouldn't be normal because "it's often how it is w/ startup"!

To be even clearer about the #npmlayoffs , I think I can talk for all of us saying that nobody is disputing the fact that we lost our job with the information we have right now, shit happens, the problem is how @npmjs did it. This thread stuck to the facts: nothing more or less.

People ask me what @npmjs could do to "fix" the #npmlayoffs situation. Firstly, recognizing that a mistake was made, not by firing us, I hope they had good reasons, but in the way it was handled. So a public apologize would at least be fair to us, but even more to the community.

Also, ensuring to have clear and transparent guidelines in the @npmjs employee handbook about #npmlayoffs procedures to be sure future employees won't be treated like we were and ensuring that the company will live up to their public values would be a good second step.

As a third step, it would be nice if @npmjs reiterate their severance package & @neverett stock options offers to all of us, adjusting them if they realize some may not be appropriate, without any obligation to sign the non-disparagement clause #npmlayoffs

Lastly, but not least, it would be crucial for @npmjs to be accountable for their community and customers by creating a plan ensuring the viability and the future of the @nodejs & @the_jsf ecosystems independently of what could happen with npm, inc, the company. #npmlayoffs

I would love that people don't put words in my mouth. I've never said it was terrible at @npmjs: I had an amazing time working with @ReBeccaOrg, @maybekatz & @ameschright. It was great to work with the community and have this great challenge! I'll miss that job... #npmlayoffs

Here is an article from @TheRegister which highlight more @npmjs issues along the #npmlayoffs theregister.co.uk/2019/04/01/npm…

There are discussions about the @TheRegister's article about @npmjs's #npmlayoffs on @reddit reddit.com/r/javascript/c…

I told you @npmjs has a lot of amazing people and @ReBeccaOrg is (was) one of them as she resigned from her role following how we have been #npmlayoffs . She was my manager!

https://twitter.com/rebeccaorg/status/1113121700281851904?s=21

Total respect, and it's not easy, but thanks for doing that my friend!

The @TheRegister wrote another article about the #npmlayoffs and the fact that my previous manager at @npmjs and friend, resigned last Friday

https://twitter.com/TheRegister/status/1113242642769428482

Many asked if I was fine. I am. I'm sad I lost the job I loved so much at @npmjs w/ (mostly) all those amazing people on a product I care about for our community, but I'll bounce back quickly, thanks! I was astonished by your compassion, I really appreciate it! ❤️#npmlayoffs

If you thought the silence from @npmjs would stop the community, @PacktPub also wrote about the #npmlayoffs hub.packtpub.com/surprise-npm-l…

I just learned that the current CEO of @npmjs was also the CEO of Quiver and had outstanding reviews on @Glassdoor glassdoor.ca/Reviews/Quiver… Not surprised! #npmlayoffs

It's incredible to see that @npmjs is now hiring for an Open Source Engineer two weeks after the #npmlayoffs "reorg". @ameschright was doing an amazing job IMHO and the ones from our ex-coworkers (including manager and skip level manager)!