Hustle culture CAN become the norm of tech companies in the era of AI, but the work will stop tomorrow with the publishing platform Medium. Medium CEO Tony Stubblebine gives company employees permission to take the day off to participate in tomorrow general strike across the country protested the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE.

The activists behind the general strike are CALL for “no jobs, no schools, and no shopping” amid a push to defund ICE, which has ramped up raids in US cities, killing some peopleincluding two US citizens earlier this month in Minneapolis.

In a Slack message IMPARTED now with Medium staff, Stubblebine says all employees are free to join the strike however they see fit.

“If you want to completely take the day off from work, or do a partial day of work, or focus your work on something that feels consistent with the goals of the strike, that’s up to you,” he wrote on a channel of general announcement.

The executive clarified that Medium is not “in the business of dictating people’s politics,” so the choice to participate is an individual one, not a company mandate.

Of course, the publishing platform plays an important role in helping people share news, opinions, insights, and analysis around politics, culture, and other topics. In order to allow its employees to take the day off to protest, Stubblebine said Medium will coordinate with the necessary groups to ensure there is a plan for “business continuity” on Friday.

Tech leaders, including Google DeepMind chief scientist Jeff Dean, have been outspoken in protesting ICE. However, many major technology companies and executives have spent the last few weeks in favor of courtship with the Trump administration. Some executives – incl Apple CEO Tim Cook — criticized for attend the screening in the documentary “Melania” produced by Amazon MGM Studios on the day federal border control agents shot and killed ICU nurse Alex Pretti in Minneapolis.

Many rank-and-file tech employees, meanwhile, have requested that ICE and CBP (Customs and Border Protection) leave US citiesas evidenced through an open letter signed by more than 500 employees in the tech industry.

Stubblebine seems to share that opinion, writing that Medium has a responsibility to “make its stance clear,” especially “like many other tech orgs that donated to the Trump campaign.” He also said that Medium’s product exists to help “elevate truth and diverse voices,” not hateful content or racism.

His message also reiterated Medium’s support for DEI, the set of pro-diversity policies the Trump administration is trying to dismantle through executive orders, the elimination of DEI positions in the federal workforce, curriculum removal, legal targeting, and more.

“Our business thrives when the country thrives, and so being represented outside is good for (our) mission,” Stubblebine said.