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A "relaxed" office culture means that "dick/sex/insulting/racist/etc jokes" are acceptable? This might be the most amazingly asinine comment I have ever encountered on HN.

The type of "jokes" you refer to are usually not only not funny to the people who have to listen to them, they can create huge liabilities for the companies dumb enough to employ the out-of-touch fool who thinks he's the office's Dave Attell.

"But we're a startup with a relaxed office culture and an opt out from toxic emails policy, not a big corporation!" isn't an effective defense to a racial discrimination or sexual harassment lawsuit.




Please show me precedent of a successful discrimination suit based on nothing more than a joke.


"Jokes" are commonly used as evidence in employment lawsuits:

http://www.boardmanclark.com/reading-room/it-was-just-a-joke...

http://www.aspendailynews.com/section/home/161026

http://www.fox19.com/story/26069939/wings-with-a-side-of-rac...

Please note that the vast majority of employment lawsuits settle before they ever go to trial.


> based on nothing more than a joke

None of your examples demonstrate this.

The joke is always a footnote to some other, primary complaint.

You failed your burden of proof.




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