Yoga Instructor Alice Van Ness Fired Because She Shot a Disapproving Look at a Facebook Employee Using their Cell Phone in Class | Bob's Blitz

Yoga Instructor Alice Van Ness Fired Because She Shot a Disapproving Look at a Facebook Employee Using their Cell Phone in Class

Just when Facebook couldn't get any douchejuicer -- Alice Van Ness, a yoga instructor who provided classes at the company's Menlo Park campus through Plus One Health Management, has been fired...by Plus One Health Management...for not allowing 'students' to use their phones during class.

Alice wrote:

A few weeks ago, I was teaching my weekly noon yoga class at the Facebook Fitness Center in Menlo Park, CA.

They have a little gym there where I taught a yoga class, in addition to Pilates and cycling classes.

Right before class began, a student was typing on her phone. Noticing this, I asked the whole class to turn off their cell phones.

She obliged, put it down next to her mat, and we began.

Halfway into class, right as I was starting a demo of ardha chandrasna (half moon pose), she decided to check her phone.

I stopped talking and looked at her.

I said nothing, but I’m sure my face said it all. “Really? Your email is more important than understanding your body? It’s more important than taking time for you? It’s more important than everyone else here?”

Oh, and by the way, she was in the middle of the front row.

She stepped out and rejoined class a few minutes later. Apparently, she had gone to complain to management.

Previously, I had been asked by management to just let the students do whatever they wanted.

Come in late, leave early, answer emails, come in during class to get weights, take photos for the newsletter—whatever came up, I was told to just say yes.

So, on this day, I didn’t actually say anything to this student. I just looked at her with utter disbelief.

Two weeks later, I was fired from the Facebook gym.

I contested the decision at the time since I didn’t actually ask her to leave.

They had already made their decision.

What has happened that work or updating a status is more important than being in the moment? Are we so incapable of disconnecting? What could be going on that couldn’t wait 30 minutes? This is not the emergency room; it’s just Facebook.

Plus One Health Management's history page reads: "Our industry firsts in the areas of technology, programming, and marketing have allowed us to reach the “hard to reach” and change behaviors for increased health, well-being, and productivity." Plus One Health Management's termination notice to Van Ness reads: "We are in the business of providing great customer service. Unless a client requires us to specifically say no to something, we prefer to say yes whenever possible."

Got that? That's why there is no dislike button on Facebook. You'd get carpal tunnel. "People use Facebook to stay connected with friends and family, to discover what’s going on in the world, and to share and express what matters to them." Facebook stock is currently at thirty bucks.

Why not click the Google +1 & the retweet buttons?

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