To think the CEO caught at Coldplay resigning is a bit of a performance

[CEOhno]

I just... don't get it. I'm not condoning affairs but people do it all the time. I don't understand why they had to resign. Their personal lives deserve to blow up, of course, but it's a bit puritanical and false to pretend that, as a society, we care this much.

It doesn't affect their ability to do their jobs, if the cameras hadn't caught them there wouldn't have been nearly as much fuss. I hate the social media panic and showmanship.

In a way, isn't this how we would all like our cheating exes to be exposed - worldwide humiliation?

Is that why people are so happy about it?

In business it’s about reputation.

If he has behaved in a way, in public, that could bring the company into disrepute the that is justifiable.

Reading between the lines, this is almost certainly not an isolated incident, and as a stakeholder I would be concerned about other missteps he has taken.

I believe that the statement was real and demonstrates his low emotional IQ.

I think it was because it was so public and went so viral. It puts the company and its employees in a really bad light, brings professional disrepute on the company, employees lives (even ones not directly involved) and their spouses are under speculation, general atmosphere of bad ethics, distrust and dishonesty etc. They have also been publicly humiliated. This will effect what their clients, their subordinates and their superiors think of them:

Also if the respective people in discussion with their spouses want to try and save their marriage or start afresh or never want to see their affair partner again, they may have to leave the company in order to save their marriage.

Basically, there is a multitude of reasons in a non-public affair alone why someone may need to leave a company after an affair is exposed. This one was 100 x worse as had all the public humiliation compounded with destruction of professional reputation compounded with the pain of their partners not finding out about this discretely and privately. As others have said, it’s basically made their positions untenable.

People like stories where the super rich are taken down a notch. Cheaters often don’t get their comeuppance either so this is funny to some.

I feel very sorry for the families, especially the kids who have to go to school and sit with people who could be making more memes but as it’s the summer holidays, hopefully there will be other stuff that people are talking about by the time that schools start next month. Dad is very rich so can lay low until things calm down then take a little renewed attention when people find out his next company.

Not dating co-workers is often a work contract clause. Haven’t you watched US tv series where people low down in the corporate hierarchy discuss having to declare their relationship to work? It’s called a morality clause but more of an insurance against being sued if the couple fall out and one claims the company has liability.

The CEO’s conduct affects stock prices- look at Tesla. It sounds like this man has a history of questionable work behaviour so the employees are probably better off with a new person in charge.

This incident has also been talked about by the manosphere who have focused on the angle that if you’re going to cheat, it should be with someone hotter.

The global humiliation and mockery is awful - you can't even say like we do with celebs that they chose to be in the spotlight and this goes with the territory.

Up to a point, but they did invite it, really. If you’re trying to be discreet about something, even if you’re not world famous, it’s not a wise move to be all over each other, at a public venue, in full view of everyone, where filming is taking place!

@oudle Yes

I imagine someone happily cheating on their spouse and flaunting their affair in public doesn't have the same level of concern for their family's feelings. Themselves, sure. But not their family.

Agree. They both showed spectacularly bad judgement. That was my first thought.

Bought the company into disrepute also had a workplace relationship, which in many workplaces must be declared and, ironically, recorded with HR

People can think more than one thing is immoral at the same time?
So eg: I could be horrified by genocide but still think it is great that someone being personally unpleasant discovered FAFO.

The CEO’s conduct affects stock prices- look at Tesla. It sounds like this man has a history of questionable work behaviour so the employees are probably better off with a new person in charge.

and yet despite Elons questionable behaviour which has impacted share prices he is still there.

I think this is probably the sticking point for me. Affairs are devastating to the families involved, of course, but I think people are a bit holier than thou proclaiming 'morality' and disrepute, when in this day and age there are many worse things than total strangers committing adultery. It all feels a bit witchhunty.

I feel really sorry for all the dc.

I believe the company has denied it was a work outing? Anyway I have a long list of people I feel sorry for. These two are not on it.

Statistically it's almost certain that at least some people participating in the public pillorying are having, or have had, affairs themselves.

@ThatCyanCat that's the bit that's fascinated. Many will have done similar, or other illegal things eg using drugs etc

If he really wanted to be with this lady there was a very clear way to do that. It would have meant him making some sacrifices but it was doable. He chose the route that was easiest for the moment. The consequences caught up with him, just a little later than if he'd taken responsibility in the first place.

eta: their reaction to being caught was hilarious. I suspect that's what triggered all the follow up rather than outrage.

I think most of them work on the assumption that they won't get caught and therefore nobody will get hurt.

I know, I know. But they don't think they will hurt anyone.

OP, you must be either CEO or head of HR having CEO around your little finger, otherwise, why are you so sure you won't ever have any issues with either of them? Wouldn't you feel vulnerable if they had an affair and therefore, won't be objective?

OP, you must be either CEO or head of HR having CEO around your little finger, otherwise, why are you so sure you won't ever have any issues with either of them? Wouldn't you feel vulnerable if they had an affair and therefore, won't be objective?

Affair or not HR don't tend to be objective, they are there for the company!

Usually there is another element than just an affair though - undue influence or misconduct usually.

So whose fault is it that they've had all this publicity and lost their careers?

1. Their own fault for dishonesty and bad judgement.
2. Coldplay's fault for having a kiss cam.
3. Chris Martin's fault for drawing attention to them.
4. The media's fault for picking up and spreading the story.
5. All of us for reading, laughing and adding comments.

Only 1. has done anything wrong (illegal or immoral or unethical). Maybe they couldn't have foreseen the consequences but folk sure will remember in future.

Only 1. has done anything wrong (illegal or immoral or unethical). Maybe they couldn't have foreseen the consequences but folk sure will remember in future.

You think going forward people will be less likely to do immoral or illegal things because of this? As pp said plenty of murderers & rapists don't have those scrutiny.

But do you make similar decisions to them?

Have you had an affair with wither your boss or someone you manage and then not declared that to the business you work for? And then have you canoodled with them in public including when you had been told there was a camera beaming images to everyone in the concert? A camera that was specifically looking for couples.

I’m sure nobody thought this would blow up to the point where IKEA, Aldi and Ryan Air to name but a few were making adverts based on it, but they could have taken quite simple steps to not be exposed like this.

And some of those policies would contravene other law such as the right to having a life outside work. Staff will form legitimate relationships - loads of couples meet at work. I met DH at work (both single) and neither of us we sacked because we were dating. People I've known be sacked for an affair was because they had sex in the office, not because of the affair. There is usually more to it outside of the relationship, say where the relationship affected your judgement on a work matter.

The concert was in Boston US. There are different laws in place.