Monster Boss: Tech CEO Celebrates Employee Selling Family Dog After Return to Office Mandate

Clearlink CEO James Clarke has drawn online outrage after celebrating an employee’s sacrifice of selling their family dog due to the company’s recent return-to-office mandate.

Vice News reports that Clearlink CEO James Clarke recently announced the company’s decision to enforce in-office work for those living within a 50-mile radius of the company’s Draper, Utah, headquarters, leaving many employees struggling to adapt. As recently as October, Clarke himself stated that there were “no plans” to mandate in-office work. Many employees had also been hired on the understanding that the company was “remote first.”

At one point, Clarke highlighted one employee who was forced to sell their family dog as a result of the return-to-office order, stating that it was an example of the “sacrifices that are being made.”

Clarke acknowledged the employee’s difficult choice during a virtual town hall meeting, saying that the news affected him as he had been at the “head of the humanization of pets movement.” Despite the controversy surrounding the mandate, Clarke urged staff members to report to work and give the organization their “blood, sweat, and tears,” stating that the change was essential for the organization to survive in a difficult business environment.

Clarke also expressed doubt about working parents and caregivers’ ability to meet company expectations while managing childcare responsibilities. “I do believe that only the rarest of full-time caregivers can also be productive and full-time employees at the same time,” he said.

In response to growing criticism from employees, Clarke took a defensive stance and accused employees of saying unkind things about him, such as comparing him to Gordon Gekko, the antagonist of the 1987 Oliver Stone film Wall Street. “You have misinterpreted my kindness for weakness,” he stated. “You have continued to do so, and it will stop.” He insisted that the mandate requiring employees to report back to work was necessary to boost productivity and promote a more friendly workplace environment.

A spokesperson for Clearlink, Layne Watson, declined to provide more information about the company’s decision and communications, citing “internal Clearlink business.” Watson added, “We look forward to having these team members join us at our new world-class Global Headquarters in Draper, UT, and appreciate the efforts of all of our committed team members – which includes those who work in the office and those who will continue to work remotely – as we accomplish our best work together.”