Company frames worker's messages during restructuring as abusive; labour board argues it was expression of real concerns
Australian-based software firm Atlassian is facing allegations before a US labour authority that it illegally dismissed an engineer who criticized the chief executive during a tense restructuring, according to a court transcript obtained by Bloomberg.
The case centres on US-based engineer Denise Unterwurzacher, who repeatedly questioned a 2023 reorganisation that involved job losses and title changes.
The dispute arose during a company-wide “ask me anything” video call with senior executives, including now-CEO Mike Cannon‑Brookes.
Employees challenge executive conduct in live chat
According to testimony from a US National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) lawyer, employees reacted badly to how leadership handled pushback in the live chat.
One attorney told the judge that, “Employees disagreed in the chat, which resulted in Cannon-Brookes angrily interjecting to tell off the people who were complaining,” during the meeting.
After the call, frustration reportedly spilled over onto an internal Slack channel named “Outrage Notification.” From there, the tone sharpened. In one widely cited message, Unterwurzacher wrote: “What's up Outragers, just dialling in from my NBA team's headquarters to yell at the people whose careers I've just pummelled,” referring to Cannon‑Brookes’ basketball team ownership and the job cuts.
Unterwurzacher was terminated a few days later. Atlassian told the tribunal it acted because she engaged in “acrimonious communications and ad hominem attacks against teammates and colleagues”. The company argues that, even in the context of workplace concerns, her comments fell outside legal protection.
Drawing the line between criticism and misconduct
In submissions, Atlassian’s lawyer framed the case as a line‑drawing exercise between protected complaints and abusive conduct.
“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 attorney Troy Valdez said.
He went further, suggesting that targeting the CEO personally undermined any protection. “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.'”
Atlassian’s ‘No bullshit’ policy as defence
The NLRB lawyer, however, has argued that Unterwurzacher’s comments should be viewed in light of Atlassian’s own stated culture, which includes the value of “Open Company, No Bullshit”. The tribunal will need to decide whether her comments were a robust expression of workplace concerns or crossed into unprotected personal abuse.
Source: Screenshot "Atlassian's core values" page
Atlassian has declined to publicly discuss the individual case but has previously confirmed major restructuring moves. In March 2023, the company cut about 500 employees, roughly 5 per cent of its workforce, citing a “changing and difficult macroeconomic environment”.
It announced a further 1600 layoffs — about 10 per cent of global staff — earlier this month as it reorganises around artificial intelligence.
