Overview

Josh Bornstein asks how our major corporations have come to exercise repressive control over the lives of their employees, and explores what can be done to repair the greatest threat to democracy - the out-of-control corporation. When you go to work, you agree to exchange your labour in exchange for your pay packet, right? Actually, you may not realise it, but you are also selling your rights to free speech and to participate in democracy. Welcome to corporate cancel culture, a burgeoning phenomenon that is routinely ignored in debates about free speech. If you work for a large company, it will not allow you to say or do anything that harms its brand - at or outside work. If you transgress and attract controversy - whether for cracking a joke, a Facebook like, or a political post on Tik Tok, you can be shamed, sacked, and blacklisted. In the twenty-first century, major corporations have become the most powerful institution in the world - more powerful than many nations. That unchecked, anti-democratic power is reflected in the gaming of the political system, the weakening of governments, and the repressive control of the lives of employees. While their behaviour has deteriorated, corporations have invested heavily in ethically washed brands, claiming to be saving the planet and doing good. As Josh Bornstein argues, we would not tolerate a government that censored, controlled, and punished us in this way, so why do we meekly accept the growing authoritarianism of the companies that we work for? 'This is a landmark work. Working for the Brand is exhilarating, forensic, funny, shocking, and deeply humane. It is a step towards liberating us from the existential threat faced by both individuals and democracies from unethical corporate control over our lives, starting with our right to express ourselves ... 'So many things are made sense of in this book. It is witty, profound, enlightening, and absolutely indispensable. A bravura examination of our times and a glorious read.' -Anna Funder, author of Wifedom 'A sophisticated, rage-inducing, rollercoaster of a read. The power and control tactics Bornstein exposes are at once shocking, and altogether unsurprising. This devastating critique of late-stage capitalism is both thrilling and horrifying, because behind every story there are real lives at stake.' -Jess Hill, journalist and author of See What You Made Me Do 'There is something in this book to offend almost everyone.' -Joe Aston, author of The Chairman's Lounge

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9781761381041

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Reviews

‘This is a landmark work. Working for the Brand is exhilarating, forensic, funny, shocking, and deeply humane. It is a step towards liberating us from the existential threat faced by both individuals and democracies from unethical corporate control over our lives, starting with our right to express ourselves … So many things are made sense of in this book. It is witty, profound, enlightening, and absolutely indispensable. A bravura examination of our times and a glorious read.’ -- Anna Funder, author of <em>Wifedom</em> ‘A sophisticated, rage-inducing, rollercoaster of a read. The power and control tactics Bornstein exposes are at once shocking, and altogether unsurprising. This devastating critique of late-stage capitalism is both thrilling and horrifying, because behind every story there are real lives at stake.’ -- Jess Hill, journalist and author of <em>See What You Made Me Do</em> ‘There is something in this book to offend almost everyone.’ -- Joe Aston, author of <em>The Chairman’s Lounge</em> ‘Modern corporations seek to attract employees who align with their “values” and who will meet the diversity quota. But when employees bring their whole selves to work or post their views on social media, the corporate brand managers enter the fray and sackings follow. In this provocative book, Bornstein has issued a powerful clarion call against corporate censorship and control’. -- Louise Adler AM ‘Combining great storytelling, sharp analysis, and rigorous research, Josh Bornstein plies key issues of our time — cancel culture, academic freedom, sex and work, and big media bias — to reveal crucial and previously unexamined threats to free speech and democracy: brand-image-driven corporate attacks on workers and their unions. A must-read for anyone concerned about democracy’s fate in the face of colossal corporate power.’ -- Joel Bakan, author of <em>The New Corporation: how ‘good’ corporations are bad for democracy</em>

‘This is a landmark work. Working for the Brand is exhilarating, forensic, funny, shocking, and deeply humane. It is a step towards liberating us from the existential threat faced by both individuals and democracies from unethical corporate control over our lives, starting with our right to express ourselves … So many things are made sense of in this book. It is witty, profound, enlightening, and absolutely indispensable. A bravura examination of our times and a glorious read.’ -- Anna Funder, author of <em>Wifedom</em> ‘A sophisticated, rage-inducing, rollercoaster of a read. The power and control tactics Bornstein exposes are at once shocking, and altogether unsurprising. This devastating critique of late-stage capitalism is both thrilling and horrifying, because behind every story there are real lives at stake.’ -- Jess Hill, journalist and author of <em>See What You Made Me Do</em> ‘There is something in this book to offend almost everyone.’ -- Joe Aston, author of <em>The Chairman’s Lounge</em> ‘Modern corporations seek to attract employees who align with their “values” and who will meet the diversity quota. But when employees bring their whole selves to work or post their views on social media, the corporate brand managers enter the fray and sackings follow. In this provocative book, Bornstein has issued a powerful clarion call against corporate censorship and control.’ -- Louise Adler AM ‘Combining great storytelling, sharp analysis, and rigorous research, Josh Bornstein plies key issues of our time — cancel culture, academic freedom, sex and work, and big media bias — to reveal crucial and previously unexamined threats to free speech and democracy: brand-image-driven corporate attacks on workers and their unions. A must-read for anyone concerned about democracy’s fate in the face of colossal corporate power.’ -- Joel Bakan, author of <em>The New Corporation: how ‘good’ corporations are bad for democracy</em>

Author Information

Josh Bornstein is an award-winning lawyer specialising in employment and labour-relations law who has successfully sued a lot of badly behaved corporations, cornered the market in representing sacked rabbis, and acted for employees who were sacked for expressing political views. His articles and essays have appeared in Australia's major media outlets, and he is a contributing author to The Wages Crisis in Australia- what it is and what to do about it, published in 2018. He is a member of the board of the progressive think tank The Australia Institute and of the advisory board of the Centre for Employment and Labour Relations Law at the University of Melbourne. He is also a member of a sports disciplinary tribunal.

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