Medium CEO Gives Staff Friday Off to Support Their Values

A tech CEO just made a bold statement about putting people before productivity. Medium's Tony Stubblebine told his entire team they can take Friday off to participate in a national strike, with no strings attached.

The announcement came through a simple Slack message to all staff. Stubblebine made it clear that participation is entirely optional, whether employees want a full day off, a partial workday, or to focus their work on strike-related goals.

This isn't about forcing politics on anyone. Stubblebine emphasized that Medium won't dictate people's beliefs, making the choice purely individual. The company plans to coordinate with teams to keep essential services running while giving people freedom to act on their values.

Medium isn't alone in tech workers speaking up. More than 500 tech industry employees have already signed an open letter about current immigration enforcement practices. Google DeepMind's chief scientist Jeff Dean has also been vocal about his concerns.

The Ripple Effect

Stubblebine's decision reflects a growing movement of tech workers demanding their companies take stands on social issues. While many large tech firms have recently courted political favor, Medium is choosing a different path by explicitly supporting diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.

The CEO connected this decision directly to Medium's core mission. The platform exists to elevate truth and diverse voices, he wrote, and that means letting employees participate in democracy however they see fit.

Medium's business continuity plan shows you can support your workers without sacrificing operations. By coordinating with key teams ahead of time, the company proves that flexibility and responsibility aren't opposites.

Stubblebine summed it up perfectly: when the country thrives, businesses thrive too. Supporting employees who want to represent their values isn't just good ethics, it's good business.

This moment shows leadership can look different in tech. Sometimes the most productive thing a company can do is trust its people to make meaningful choices about how they spend their time.