Comcast decided to give employees time off Thursday (Feb. 2) after reports surfaced that workers were planning to rally against the travel ban imposed by President Donald Trump.
News reports had said Comcast employees were staging a walkout in protest of the restrictions on immigration from seven countries and on refugees in general. A company spokesperson said all employees could take the time to express their views either way.
“We understand that some of our employees are concerned and we respect their desire to express their opinions,” Comcast said in a statement. “Our primary focus is to make sure that all of our employees feel safe in their jobs, including while traveling. We have assured our employees that no one will be asked to travel to a place that would result in them feeling vulnerable in any way. And, we have enhanced our employee resources programs to help any concerned employee navigate through this matter.”
Rallies are scheduled at Comcast campuses in Philadelphia; Washington, D.C.; New York; and Sunnyvale, Calif.
UPDATE: Rallies indeed took place with many Comcast employees (including CTO Sree Kotay) in attendance, as seen in videos posted on Facebook. The site Technical.ly Philly published a comprehensive article and social compilation about the rally.
