FORMER JEFF BEZOS SPACE EMPLOYEE: “I REALLY WISHED HE WAS THE PERSON WE ALL THOUGHT HE WAS”
"YOU CANNOT CREATE A CULTURE OF SAFETY AND A CULTURE OF FEAR AT THE SAME TIME."
FUTURISM
Just Disappointed
Alexandra Abrams, the former Head of Employee Communications at Jeff Bezos’ spaceflight company, Blue Origin, says she’s disappointed in Bezos for allowing a toxic culture to take hold at the company.
We previously covered a Lioness open letter written by Abrams and a cohort of other current and former Blue Origin employees in which they say the company’s senior leadership fostered a workplace culture rife with sexism and discrimination, and in which speed and progress were prioritized over safety. But in an interview with CBS News, Abrams added a personal message directed at Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos.
“I think would say to Jeff that I really wished he was the person we all thought he was,” Abrams told CBS, “and that Blue Origin was the company we all thought it was going to be.
Silencing Dissent
Alongside Abrams’ allegations is an equally controversial back-and-forth over the nature of Abrams’ departure from Blue Origin. Blue Origin told CBS and Lionness that Abrams was fired after repeated warnings for “issues regarding federal export control regulations.” Abrams told CBS that those warnings never happened and that she was fired for clashing with management.
Specifically, Abrams said that senior leadership instructed her to roll out new agreements that would make it all-but-impossible for Blue Origin employees to speak out about workplace harassment or discrimination — of which Abrams said there was an endless supply — in court.
“You cannot create a culture of safety and a culture of fear at the same time,” Abrams told CBS. “They are incompatible.”
READ MORE: Former Blue Origin employee “would not trust” company’s vehicles to go to space [CBS News]
More on Blue Origin: Blue Origin Employees Say They Don’t Think Its Rocket Is Safe, Wouldn’t Ride in it
"YOU CANNOT CREATE A CULTURE OF SAFETY AND A CULTURE OF FEAR AT THE SAME TIME."
FUTURISM
Just Disappointed
Alexandra Abrams, the former Head of Employee Communications at Jeff Bezos’ spaceflight company, Blue Origin, says she’s disappointed in Bezos for allowing a toxic culture to take hold at the company.
We previously covered a Lioness open letter written by Abrams and a cohort of other current and former Blue Origin employees in which they say the company’s senior leadership fostered a workplace culture rife with sexism and discrimination, and in which speed and progress were prioritized over safety. But in an interview with CBS News, Abrams added a personal message directed at Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos.
“I think would say to Jeff that I really wished he was the person we all thought he was,” Abrams told CBS, “and that Blue Origin was the company we all thought it was going to be.
Silencing Dissent
Alongside Abrams’ allegations is an equally controversial back-and-forth over the nature of Abrams’ departure from Blue Origin. Blue Origin told CBS and Lionness that Abrams was fired after repeated warnings for “issues regarding federal export control regulations.” Abrams told CBS that those warnings never happened and that she was fired for clashing with management.
Specifically, Abrams said that senior leadership instructed her to roll out new agreements that would make it all-but-impossible for Blue Origin employees to speak out about workplace harassment or discrimination — of which Abrams said there was an endless supply — in court.
“You cannot create a culture of safety and a culture of fear at the same time,” Abrams told CBS. “They are incompatible.”
READ MORE: Former Blue Origin employee “would not trust” company’s vehicles to go to space [CBS News]
More on Blue Origin: Blue Origin Employees Say They Don’t Think Its Rocket Is Safe, Wouldn’t Ride in it
Blue Origin's exodus of top staffers followed its CEO's demand for all staff to return to the office, reports say
Zahra Tayeb
Sat, October 2, 2021
Bob Smith and Jeff Bezos. Reuters
Blue Origin's talent exodus followed pressure for all staff to return to the office, CNBC reported.
Sources told the outlet on Friday that the company's attrition rate has soared past 20%.
A Blue Origin spokesperson said the rate was similar to other firms', amid the "Great Resignation."
Blue Origin's recent loss of many top employees followed a call for all staff to return to the office.
Multiple sources told CNBC that the departures were a direct reflection of CEO Bob Smith's pressure to end remote working across the company.
Sources also said that the company's attrition rate passed 20% for this year.
A Blue Origin spokesperson told CNBC that attrition "has never exceeded 12.7%" on an annualized rate, which measures employee departures over the last 12 months. Typically, Blue Origin's annual turnover rate is 8% to 9%, sources familiar with the situation said.
"We are seeing attrition rates comparable to those reported by other companies as part of what many are calling 'The Great Resignation,'" the spokesperson said.
Blue Origin did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.
Earlier this year, 17 top staffers at Blue Origin left the company, with many departing in the weeks after founder Jeff Bezos flew into space, Insider's Kevin Shalvey reported.
Per a previous CNBC report, those leaving the space firm included New Shepard SVP Steve Bennett, chief of mission assurance Jeff Ashby and senior director of recruiting Crystal Freund.
Some of the departures were noteworthy because of their timing. They followed an announcement that SpaceX would be awarded a $2.9 billion contract for a moon lander for the Artemis missions.
Friday's CNBC report noted that the plan for all employees to return to the office in September, known as the "Blue Back Together," initiative, ruffled feathers.
Hundreds of workers signed a petition asking the company to at least implement a more flexible work model, but it was never acknowledged by Smith, the report said.
CNBC said that the views of its anonymous sources in many ways mirrored those of the 21 current and former Blue Origin employees who published an open letter alleging a toxic, sexist, and unsafe work culture.
Insider's Sinéad Baker and Grace Kay reported that the letter also accused Bezos of sacrificing safety in an effort to win the billionaire space race.
Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin reportedly fired a longtime senior executive over allegations of inappropriate behavior in the workplace
Chief Blue Origin complaint author disputes cause of termination, while the space company's CEO does damage controlZahra Tayeb
Sat, October 2, 2021
Bob Smith and Jeff Bezos. Reuters
Blue Origin's talent exodus followed pressure for all staff to return to the office, CNBC reported.
Sources told the outlet on Friday that the company's attrition rate has soared past 20%.
A Blue Origin spokesperson said the rate was similar to other firms', amid the "Great Resignation."
Blue Origin's recent loss of many top employees followed a call for all staff to return to the office.
Multiple sources told CNBC that the departures were a direct reflection of CEO Bob Smith's pressure to end remote working across the company.
Sources also said that the company's attrition rate passed 20% for this year.
A Blue Origin spokesperson told CNBC that attrition "has never exceeded 12.7%" on an annualized rate, which measures employee departures over the last 12 months. Typically, Blue Origin's annual turnover rate is 8% to 9%, sources familiar with the situation said.
"We are seeing attrition rates comparable to those reported by other companies as part of what many are calling 'The Great Resignation,'" the spokesperson said.
Blue Origin did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.
Earlier this year, 17 top staffers at Blue Origin left the company, with many departing in the weeks after founder Jeff Bezos flew into space, Insider's Kevin Shalvey reported.
Per a previous CNBC report, those leaving the space firm included New Shepard SVP Steve Bennett, chief of mission assurance Jeff Ashby and senior director of recruiting Crystal Freund.
Some of the departures were noteworthy because of their timing. They followed an announcement that SpaceX would be awarded a $2.9 billion contract for a moon lander for the Artemis missions.
Friday's CNBC report noted that the plan for all employees to return to the office in September, known as the "Blue Back Together," initiative, ruffled feathers.
Hundreds of workers signed a petition asking the company to at least implement a more flexible work model, but it was never acknowledged by Smith, the report said.
CNBC said that the views of its anonymous sources in many ways mirrored those of the 21 current and former Blue Origin employees who published an open letter alleging a toxic, sexist, and unsafe work culture.
Insider's Sinéad Baker and Grace Kay reported that the letter also accused Bezos of sacrificing safety in an effort to win the billionaire space race.
Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin reportedly fired a longtime senior executive over allegations of inappropriate behavior in the workplace
Kate Duffy,Grace Kay
Fri, October 1, 2021
Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos. HO/Mike Brown/Space Florida
Blue Origin fired a senior executive in 2019 over allegations of inappropriate behavior, per The Washington Post.
One former employee told The Post that the exec embarrassed her in front of others in a meeting.
It follows former and current Blue Origin staff writing about the company's alleged sexist work culture.
Jeff Bezos' spaceflight firm, Blue Origin, fired a longtime senior executive over allegations of inappropriate behavior in the workplace, The Washington Post reported on Thursday.
Blue Origin hired a law firm to investigate Walt McCleery, the company's vice president of recruiting, three people familiar with the situations told The Post. The law firm, called Perkins Coie, found that McCleery's behavior was inappropriate in the workplace, according to The Post. Officials in Bezos' company, who requested to remain anonymous, told the publication that Blue Origin hired the law firm and then fired McCleery.
McCleery worked at Blue Origin from 2004 to 2019, according to his LinkedIn profile. He now works at SpinLaunch as vice president of talent acquisition. SpinLaunch did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The news comes the same day as a group of 21 former and current Blue Origin employees wrote an open letter accusing the company of sacrificing safety in an effort to win the billionaire space race, and fostering a toxic and sexist work culture. Blue Origin and McCleery didn't immediately respond to Insider's request for comments on McCleery. When the letter was initially released, the space company told Insider that Blue Origin does not tolerate harassment in its workplace and was actively investigating the claims.
One former Blue Origin employee, who didn't sign the open letter, told The Post that she was in a meeting with McCleery when he said to executives from an outside company: "I apologize for [her] being emotional. It must be her time of the month."
The former staff member described the incident to The Post as "tough," adding that she quit her job "because I couldn't take it anymore."
McCleery told The Post that he was unaware of the open letter and denied the allegations. "Not true as far as I'm concerned," he told The Post, which is owned by Bezos.
"It doesn't matter how it came to an end. That's private. That's my information," he told The Post in regards to his exit from Blue Origin.
The open letter, written by employees who remained anonymous apart from Alexandra Abrams, the former head of Blue Origin employee communications, didn't disclose any names, but said numerous executives had been accused of demeaning female Blue Origin staff.
The letter described an example of one senior executive in CEO Bob Smith's inner circle being promoted despite having multiple sexual harassment reports.
Another unnamed executive often called women derogatory words like "baby girl" and "baby doll," the letter said. Abrams told CBS that employees' concerns over safety and harassment in the workplace were consistently overlooked. Though, she said the company eventually fired one of the executives cited in the letter after he groped a colleague.
The letter also said female workers at Blue Origin often warned each other to stay away from these executives and pointed to a workplace that lacked gender parity.
"If this company's culture and work environment are a template for the future Jeff Bezos envisions, we are headed in a direction that reflects the worst of the world we live in now, and sorely needs to change," the letter said.
On Friday, CNBC reported Blue Origin's CEO sent employees a mass email responding to the allegations. Smith sought to "reassure" staff that the company does not tolerate harassment.
"It is particularly difficult and painful, for me, to hear claims being levied that attempt to characterize our entire team in a way that doesn't align with the character and capability that I see at Blue Origin every day," Smith wrote.
Fri, October 1, 2021
Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos. HO/Mike Brown/Space Florida
Blue Origin fired a senior executive in 2019 over allegations of inappropriate behavior, per The Washington Post.
One former employee told The Post that the exec embarrassed her in front of others in a meeting.
It follows former and current Blue Origin staff writing about the company's alleged sexist work culture.
Jeff Bezos' spaceflight firm, Blue Origin, fired a longtime senior executive over allegations of inappropriate behavior in the workplace, The Washington Post reported on Thursday.
Blue Origin hired a law firm to investigate Walt McCleery, the company's vice president of recruiting, three people familiar with the situations told The Post. The law firm, called Perkins Coie, found that McCleery's behavior was inappropriate in the workplace, according to The Post. Officials in Bezos' company, who requested to remain anonymous, told the publication that Blue Origin hired the law firm and then fired McCleery.
McCleery worked at Blue Origin from 2004 to 2019, according to his LinkedIn profile. He now works at SpinLaunch as vice president of talent acquisition. SpinLaunch did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The news comes the same day as a group of 21 former and current Blue Origin employees wrote an open letter accusing the company of sacrificing safety in an effort to win the billionaire space race, and fostering a toxic and sexist work culture. Blue Origin and McCleery didn't immediately respond to Insider's request for comments on McCleery. When the letter was initially released, the space company told Insider that Blue Origin does not tolerate harassment in its workplace and was actively investigating the claims.
One former Blue Origin employee, who didn't sign the open letter, told The Post that she was in a meeting with McCleery when he said to executives from an outside company: "I apologize for [her] being emotional. It must be her time of the month."
The former staff member described the incident to The Post as "tough," adding that she quit her job "because I couldn't take it anymore."
McCleery told The Post that he was unaware of the open letter and denied the allegations. "Not true as far as I'm concerned," he told The Post, which is owned by Bezos.
"It doesn't matter how it came to an end. That's private. That's my information," he told The Post in regards to his exit from Blue Origin.
The open letter, written by employees who remained anonymous apart from Alexandra Abrams, the former head of Blue Origin employee communications, didn't disclose any names, but said numerous executives had been accused of demeaning female Blue Origin staff.
The letter described an example of one senior executive in CEO Bob Smith's inner circle being promoted despite having multiple sexual harassment reports.
Another unnamed executive often called women derogatory words like "baby girl" and "baby doll," the letter said. Abrams told CBS that employees' concerns over safety and harassment in the workplace were consistently overlooked. Though, she said the company eventually fired one of the executives cited in the letter after he groped a colleague.
The letter also said female workers at Blue Origin often warned each other to stay away from these executives and pointed to a workplace that lacked gender parity.
"If this company's culture and work environment are a template for the future Jeff Bezos envisions, we are headed in a direction that reflects the worst of the world we live in now, and sorely needs to change," the letter said.
On Friday, CNBC reported Blue Origin's CEO sent employees a mass email responding to the allegations. Smith sought to "reassure" staff that the company does not tolerate harassment.
"It is particularly difficult and painful, for me, to hear claims being levied that attempt to characterize our entire team in a way that doesn't align with the character and capability that I see at Blue Origin every day," Smith wrote.
Aria Alamalhodaei
Fri, October 1, 2021
Blue Origin CEO Bob Smith wasted no time responding to allegations of a hostile work environment, sending an internal letter to employees Thursday encouraging staff to speak to him directly or via an in-house anonymous hotline with their concerns. Of course, it's standard practice for companies like Blue Origin to prefer handling complaints internally rather than in the public arena.
The letter from Smith, which was first obtained by CNBC, comes on the heels of an essay jointly composed by 21 current and former Blue Origin employees detailing serious concerns regarding safety and sexual harassment at the company.
Alexandra Abrams, former head of employee communications, is the sole named author of the essay. She told TechCrunch in a new interview that she decided to go public with her identity because she felt a sense of responsibility for other employees.
“I really felt like I had compromised my integrity at Blue Origin,” she said. “I did my best, but I was Bob's executive communicator and helped make him look good.”
The essay details two instances of alleged sexual harassment by senior executives, including one instances of a senior leader being let go after groping a female employee — notably, Abrams said, only five of the 21 people who contributed to the essay are men. The essay also alleges that safety at Blue Origin took a backseat to speed of execution, with leadership insisting on a breakneck pace that wasn’t supported by adequate staffing or resources.
“SpaceX has always been much better staffed than Blue Origin,” Abrams said.
Current and former employees raise major safety concerns, allegations of sexual harassment at Blue Origin
Blue Origin said in a statement that Abrams was dismissed “for cause two years ago after repeated warnings for issues involving federal export control regulations.” However, Abrams said she never received any warnings, verbal or written, from management regarding issues related to federal export control regulations.
Instead, she says her termination came after initiating a project to develop an internal employee app. Two weeks after that app, called Voyager, went live, it was discovered that part of its architecture was not secure — this is a major concern in the aerospace industry, as all communications tools must be compliant with International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), a set of regulations governing tech related to defense and space.
Abrams says she immediately escalated the issue. While senior management conducted an investigation and found no export violations occurred, senior executives reportedly told her that “she could no longer be trusted” and fired her.
“As a communications professional, and part of the non-technical staff, I was not responsible for certifying or approving any compliance of any third-party software architecture. And to-date, as far as I’m aware, the software in question is still used by Blue Origin and Amazon,” she added.
Yesterday, the Federal Aviation Administration said it was “reviewing the information” detailed in the essay. Abrams said that the agency has not reached out to her, but that she would “very much welcome” that.
“I feel like I'm fulfilling my job description as employee communications for the first time.”
Bob Smith's full internal team email on Abram's letter follows below:
Team Blue,
Today, you may have seen that some claims were made against our team.
As with any criticism, whether personal or professional, and whether the criticism is fair or baseless, it is never easy to hear. It requires reflection and humility to sort through what is useful and what is not.
It is particularly difficult and painful, for me, to hear claims being levied that attempt to characterize our entire team in a way that doesn’t align with the character and capability that I see at Blue Origin every day.
Yet, one of our Blue Leadership Principles states that “Leaders are sincerely open-minded, and examine their own strongest convictions with humility. They value diversity, in all of its forms, since different viewpoints result in novel ideas. Their openness enables them to trust those around them — and to earn the trust of others in turn.”
We wrote and published that principle, and others, and will today, and always, be self-critical and hold ourselves to the highest standard.
While we reflect on what we can learn and improve, I do want to reassure the team on a few points.
First, the New Shepard team went through a methodical and pain-staking process to certify our vehicle for First Human Flight. Anyone that claims otherwise is uninformed and simply incorrect. That team is appropriately proud of the work they’ve done and we should be as well.
It should also be emphatically stated that we have no tolerance for discrimination or harassment of any kind. We provide numerous avenues including a 24/7 anonymous hotline for employees, we investigate and act on any findings, and we will promptly investigate any new claims of misconduct. As always, I welcome and encourage any member of Team Blue to speak directly with me if they have any concerns on any topic at any time.
Finally, it should never be doubted that we have an amazing team that is doing amazing work.
Our team is comprised of the best and brightest professionals in the aerospace industry. People who are dedicated, work hard and are passionate about our mission.
We’ll continue to rapidly grow that talented team, stay focused on our efforts and support each other. And, step by step, we will make even greater strides.
Gradatim Ferociter,
Bob
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