<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national" rel="" target="" title="Australian"><span>Australian</span></a><span>-based software giant Atlassian is accused of illegally firing an employee for criticising the boss over </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/workplace" rel="" target="_blank" title="workplace "><span>workplace</span></a><span> issues during a company-wide meeting.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Denise Unterwurzacher, an Atlassian engineer in the </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/usa" rel="" target="_blank" title="US"><span>US</span></a><span>, repeatedly spoke out about a controversial restructuring plan in 2023, according to a court transcript obtained by Bloomberg via a Freedom of Information Act request.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>During an "ask me anything" video call between staff and executives, including the now chief executive Mike Cannon-Brookes, employees were told some jobs would be lost while others would have titles changed.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE: </span></strong><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/ozempic-australia-doctors-push-back-on-push-to-subsidise-glp1-drugs-for-more-australians/a106b9e8-73c1-4a2e-b3f6-e9dcc2501b93" rel="" target="_blank" title=""><strong><span>Ozempic wants more Aussies on weight-loss drug cheaply. Doctors disagree</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Employees disagreed in the chat, which resulted in Cannon-Brookes angrily interjecting to tell off the people who were complaining," US Labour Relations Board attorney Colton Puckett told a judge at a March 3 hearing in </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/texas" rel="" target="_blank" title="Austin, Texas"><span>Austin, Texas</span></a><span>.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The transcript noted Unterwurzacher and several other staff mocked and complained about Cannon-Brookes' response, which the billionaire made from the headquarters of a basketball team he co-owns, on an internal Slack channel called "Outrage Notification".</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"What's up Outragers, just dialling in from my NBA team's headquarters to yell at the people whose careers I've just pummelled," Unterwurzacher wrote.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/national/atlassian-accused-of-illegally-firing-employee-who-suggested-boss-was-rich-jerk-usa-court/72f6fed5-7eb0-4ad2-988f-865499c39de6" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Unterwurzacher was fired a few days later.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Atlassian said she engaged in "acrimonious communications and ad hominem attacks against teammates and colleagues".</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The company argued in </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/courts" rel="" target="_blank" title="court "><span>court</span></a><span> that it could fire her as her comments were not legally protected.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE: </span></strong><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/donald-trump-neal-dunn-terminal-diagnosis-dead-by-june-mike-johnson-usa-politics-news/b598dc61-43f2-4a3a-aaa4-d522b0154a3e" rel="" target="_blank" title=""><strong><span>'Dead by June': Trump announces congressman's private diagnosis</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"While employees are encouraged to speak up about workplace issues, they must do so in a manner that remains professional and respectful, as the law does not protect conduct that is abusive or gratuitously insulting," Atlassian's attorney Troy Valdez said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Just because it was a CEO doesn't excuse the conduct. It was an irrelevant personal attack and insult directed at a colleague, essentially calling him a 'rich jerk.'"</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>However, Puckett in the transcript argued that Unterwurzacher had merely acted in the company's "Open Company, No Bullshit" philosophy.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Atlassian said it does not comment on individual matters in response to a </span><a href="http://www.9news.com.au" rel="" target="" title="9news.com.au"><span>9news.com.au</span></a><span> request.  </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The company announced it was cutting 500 staff in March 2023, about five per cent of its global workforce, due to the "changing and difficult macroeconomic environment".</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Earlier this week, </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/atlassian-job-losses-aussie-software-company-blames-ai-cutting-1600-jobs/e45e3983-1e46-4430-b699-031a4b7c6c9f" rel="" target="_blank" title="Atlassian said it would lay off another 1600 staff"><span>Atlassian said it would lay off another 1600 staff</span></a><span> or 10 per cent of its global workforce in another restructure around artificial intelligence.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><em><span>NEVER MISS A STORY:</span></em></strong><span> </span><em><span>Get your breaking news and exclusive stories first by following us across all platforms.</span></em></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><ul><li><strong><em><span>Download the 9NEWS App here via</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://apps.apple.com/au/app/9news/id1010533727" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>Apple</span></em></strong></a><span> </span><strong><em><span>and</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=nineNewsAlerts.nine.com&amp;hl=en_AU&amp;pli=1" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>Google Play</span></em></strong></a></li><li><strong><em><span>Make 9News your preferred source on Google by</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://9.nine.com.au/8x987w" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>ticking this box here</span></em></strong></a></li><li><strong><em><span>Sign up to</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://login.nine.com.au/edm?client_id=nineatnine" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>our breaking newsletter here</span></em></strong></a></li></ul></div></div>