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James Clarke, the CEO of tech-enabled global media company Clearlink, received backlash online after praising an employee who sold their dog to return to work. A clip from the virtual town hall, where the Utah-based technology and digital marketing company’s CEO celebrated the sacrifices made by some of his workers. The video has since gone viral, and netizens are bashing James Clarke for supporting the act of selling a pet to meet a new in-office mandate.
In the video, it seemed like Clarke was forcing his employees to return to the office. He also said that he had run out of patience with employees who complained about the new work policy.
However, that wasn't what ticked off netizens. They were furious when Clarke implied that employees should go as far as getting rid of their beloved pets to better serve the company. He said that he had sacrificed to be where he is today, and his employees had also made sacrifices to be in Clearlink. Clarke added that he learned during the call that one employee went out and sold their family dog.
Netizens react to Clearlink's CEO's viral video
The video of the CEO of the Utah-based tech company was recorded and posted to YouTube and Reddit a few days ago. However, it was removed from these platforms after the company filed a copyright complaint. Meanwhile, Vice got a hold of the clip and reposted an edited and shortened version of the footage on Wednesday. The video was then reshared by many on Twitter.
Netizens were extremely disgusted by the opinions James Clarke had about work-life balance. While some said that the video was "sad and slightly disturbing," others said that the CEO was a complete disgrace.
Clearlink CEO says none of his employees work as hard as him
James Clarke notified his employees via email on April 3, 2023, that those living within 50 miles of Clearlink's headquarters in Draper, Utah, would need to start working in the office. The CEO said that the employees would need to start working from the office four days a week, starting April 17, 2023.
The new in-office mandate came a few months after the company assured workers in an internal email in October that it had no plans to require any staff to work from the office.
However, the company executives changed their minds. The company wrote of its return-to-office policy that the leadership believes this to be the best decision at the time to ensure the near as well as long-term success of the company.
Many employees who were reportedly hired on the understanding and agreement that their shifts would be permanently remote were confused and unenthused by the sudden change in policy.
The video recording of the Clearlink CEO was seemingly meant to mitigate concerns about the in-person vs. remote work policy reversal. However, the overall message from James Clarke was not so reassuring or remotely motivating.
In the virtual meeting, James Clarke challenged his staff to outwork him, but he added that none of them would be able to do so. He said that he was all in on what they were doing here at Clearlink and he wanted everyone to know and feel it.
He levied some serious accusations at his staff. Thirty remote employees of the company had stopped logging in and were quietly quitting. Clarke expressed suspicions that some of the company’s developers had been working at other companies without Clearlink’s knowledge.
He even told content writers that they should be using AI copy generators to increase output by 30-50 times their normal production.
While applauding the employee who sold his family dog to be able to work from the office and comply with the new mandate, Clarke also added a dog anecdote. He said that it:
“breaks my heart, as someone who’s been at the head of the humanization of pets movement in other businesses that we’ve built.”
He referred to the ten years he spent on the board of the company PetIQ. It sells veterinary services and pet care products. However, Clarke implied that such sacrifices as selling one’s pet are a necessary and laudable step towards excelling at Clearlink.
In a section of the meeting, James Clarke also spoke about childcare challenges. He openly questioned the ability of primary caregivers and mothers to offer adequate value to both their kids and the company.
The CEO opined that breadwinning mothers were the ones most affected by this pandemic. Many of them tried to tend to their children and in doing so, they also had to manage and compromise their demanding work schedules and responsibilities.
Clarke added that while he was aware that the mothers were doing their best, it was arguable that the juggle was neither fair to their children nor to their employers. He immediately backtracked and said that he did not necessarily believe the argument.
However, he also doubled down and said:
“But I do believe that only the rarest of full-time caregivers can also be a productive and full-time employee at the same time. You may take issue with any part of this, but I believe the data will also support this in time.”
Amidst all of this, Clearlink’s CEO, James Clarke, also managed to mention that he is an alum of Oxford and Harvard schools, which, in his words, were founded by and operated under the Judeo-Christian ethic.
