--- tags: union, corporate ethics register, company ranking, don't be evil, cooperatives, coops --- # Don't Be Evil Ranking see also [Employees Lobbying Businesses](https://hackmd.io/@alexhkurz/rJbrHJDKu) The Don't Do Evil Ranking is modelled on the University Ranking. University Rankings help students and parents to choose the best higher education institution for their purposes and means. The Don't Do Evil Ranking aims at helping software engineers to choose the best employer. Whether the ranking should be called "Don't Be Evil" is open to debate ... it refers to https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don%27t_be_evil Maybe: The Ethical Worker's Cooperative, The Cooperative of Ethical Workers, ... ## Rationale University rankings help students to choose. Similarly, the Don't Be Evil Ranking would help employees to choose their company. This is based on the assumption that engineers are in demand and can afford to choose not only for salary but also according to where the company stands in terms of values. Some will reply that one should not mix politics and work. But I would disagree for the following reasons. 1. Corporations move poltics in the US. Corporations influence politics, not least through campaign financing. In turn, if my values are important to me, as an employee, I should therefore think about whether I want to support a particular company by working for them. 2. Companies do expect a loyalty from their employees that goes beyond a 9 to 5 exchange of time versus salary. In turn, as an employee, I would expect that my company fulfills their side of the loyalty contract and that includes basic values such as being anti-racist, pro diversity and inclusion, and supporting a transition to a sustainable economy. 3. That companies were willing to support BLM shows that that they are receptive to employee values. ## Values Which values should make it into the rankings? This needs careful consideration, they should be as inclusive as possible without being perceived as partisan. I was thinking about the following. - Diversity, LGBTQ+ and Anti-Racism - - Spending on Politics - Support for working from home - Support of Climate Action - Defense Contractor - Surveillance State Contractor One could draw up a list of values and then make an interface in which user can weigh the values according to how important they are to them ... eg some may object to work for a defense contractor and other dont. ## Remarks Loyalty to a company depends on how much I can brag about working there to my other friends and contacts ... ## References - Ed Zitron: [People Want To Work, They Just Don't Want To Work For You](ez.substack.com/p/people-want-to-work-they-just-dont) discusses several points of relevant to the question of how much power employees could have over their companies: 1) The "great resignation". 2) Working remote during the pandemic flipped the balance of power from the company to the worker. 3) Companies have made a good business in finding ways to compensate workers with stuff that costs way less than actually paying them. - [Examining the future of human capital](https://medium.com/@danielbarnes_8294/examining-the-future-of-human-capital-ce48e5662117). "workforce productivity is largely driven by the proportion of software development skills that a company has" - ## More links https://newrepublic.com/article/163344/amazon-google-voting-rights-donations