Posted on by Californiacontrarian

WeWork; We Dictate; Wow!

In May,2008 Adam Neumann and Miguel McKelvey established GreenDesk, an “eco-friendly coworking space” in Brooklyn. Perhaps the name for the original company, GreenDesk, should have been a clue as to what was to come. In 2010, Neumann and McKelvey sold the business and started WeWork, a company that provides shared workspace. WeWork designs and builds physical and virtual shared spaces and office services for entrepreneurs and companies. It has been very successful now with locations in 23 United States cities and 21 countries around the world.
Wow, good for the entrepreneurship of Neumann and McKelvey.
Now here comes the scary part!
In July 2018, the company restricted employees from expensing meals that contain red meat, pork or poultry. WeWork also announced that it would not provide meat for events at its locations or allow meat at self-serve food kiosks in WeWork locations. The policy was rolled out to cover the company’s nearly 6,000 employees globally.
Wow! Is sounds like a new chapter in the book, “My Way Is the Only Way; Do Things My Way”?
I have heard of CEOs of some companies (both left-leaning or right-leaning) suggesting that a vote for X would be better than a vote for Y, but the CEO does not actually go into the voting booth with the employee. Some environmentally conscious companies provide desirable parking spaces with charging stations in order to encourage the use of electric cars or hybrids, but gasoline powered automobiles are not banned from the parking facility. A CEO may provide an on site gym, because he feels that it would be best if his employees exercised regularly. While that CEO is suggesting that his employees exercise, he doesn’t monitor who does and who does not go to the gym.
I have no problem with the CEOs in any of the above examples, because a suggestion is just that . . . a suggestion, a recommendation.
But WeWorks’ forced vegetarianism is over the top! McKelvey could have encouraged a vegetarian cuisine at WeWorks without totally banning meat, etc. It’s amazing to me that Miguel McKelvey has the hutzpah to basically force his employees to be vegetarians! From that same book, My Way Is the Only Way; Do Things My Way: “I am a vegetarian. I know best. I know that the best thing for you is not to eat meat . . . so I will now force you to do things my way!” Company co-founder McKelvey claims that new research has shown that avoiding meat is one of the biggest things an individual can do to reduce their personal environmental impact.
Wow! “Personal environmental impact” – This sounds like a children’s book in which  little Jimmy changes the world by using Splenda instead of sugar at his lemonade stand.
In an interview McKelvey said the policy was aimed at raising consciousness among the company’s employees. “We are coming at it from an awareness and mindfulness perspective. The headline has been ‘meat-free’, but this is a much larger effort to develop personal accountability in our team.”
Wow! “Personal accountability” – This sounds like the spiel from the pulpit of a new church which will now show you the only way to environmental nirvana.
A New York Times columnist wondered if WeWork’s enforced vegetarianism was just an example of another whimsical human resources directive from a high flying technology startup with an inflated sense of self importance. Duh!! Yes that is exactly what it is, but it is more than that. It’s an extension of the liberal mantra, “We (I) know best, and because of that, you will do things our (my) way.” If the WeWorks vegetarian dictum stands, look for more dictums from other liberals, such as the outlawing of sugar use at lemonade stands, or perhaps a special added tax on all meat products!
However the really scary thing  for me is that all of these looney liberal ideas eventually make their way to California. I live in California, and I not only like sugar in my lemonade but also one or two Sausage McMuffins with Egg for breakfast!
Wow! Scary!

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