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flag Atlassian fired engineer Denise Unterwurzacher for calling CEO Mike Cannon-Brookes a “rich jerk” on Slack, sparking a U.S. labor dispute over protected speech rights.

flag Atlassian is facing a U.S. labor dispute after firing software engineer Denise Unterwurzacher in June 2023 for criticizing CEO Mike Cannon-Brookes on an internal Slack channel, calling him a “rich jerk” during a discussion about a workforce restructuring. flag The National Labor Relations Board alleges the termination violated federal labor law by retaliating against protected, concerted speech about working conditions, arguing her comments aligned with Atlassian’s own “Open Company, No Bullshit” values. flag Atlassian maintains her remarks were unprofessional and abusive, violating internal policies. flag The case, now before an NLRB judge, could set a precedent for employee free speech rights in tech, particularly regarding criticism of leadership, and may lead to reinstatement and back pay if ruled in favor of the employee.

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