Read the Powerful Essay by the Mom of One of AOL’s ‘Distressed Babies’
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AOL CEO Tim Armstrong made headlines last week when, in a conference call, he blamed the health-care costs associated with the “distressed babies” of two AOL employees for the company’s decision to trim 401(k) benefits. He was widely condemned in the media, as various observers pointed out Armstrong’s Quixotic support of AOL’s money-hemorrhaging Patch project, questioned his math, wondered if he’d violated employee confidentiality and cited his generous compensation. Valleywag’s Sam Biddle published a chart titled “Tim Armstrong’s Salary, in Distressed Babies.”
Over the weekend, Armstrong apologized for his comments and walked back the 401(k) changes in a memo to staff.
AOL, which is declining to comment beyond Armstrong’s memo, is clearly hoping the story just goes away. But on Saturday, Slate published a powerful essay by novelist Deanna Fei titled “My Baby and AOL’s Bottom Line” and subtitled “That ‘distressed baby’ who Tim Armstrong blamed for benefit cuts? She’s my daughter.”
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