I don't see this press release as forbidding debate. This is simply saying that the company won't be taking a stance. That shouldn't stop individual employees discussing political topics as long as they can act like adults and not create a hostile environment.

> I don't see this press release as forbidding debate.

It specifically does:

> We won’t: Debate causes or political candidates internally

Hm. What is the legality of limiting employees speech during e.g. their lunch break time?

It's sad. We ought to be able to debate important topics without people getting upset and emotional and ruining each others lives.

You can do that anywhere. Just don’t do it with a captive audience.

And the people most inclined to discuss politics in the work place tend to be the people who take it personally.

I read the original post from Brian as; you can, but at work one should work. Coinbase isn't paying folks to debate politics, they're paying someone to further the company mission.

this is undoubtedly true, but also undoubtedly easier said than done. we don't seem to be wired as a species to have difficult conversations without feeling emotions amd having those emotions affect our relationships.

> We had internal meetings more or less instructing employees how to vote.

Is that legal?

Yes, unfortunately. Most states don't have any law against employers politically pressuring their employees.

If it can be construed as threatening or coercive, it appears that many actually do:

https://www.grubblawgroup.com/employee-rights-and-informatio...