Condé Nast Employees Confront HR Director Amid Layoff Controversy

A recent video shows Condé Nast employees confronting the company’s human resources director, Stan Duncan. This incident is part of a series of layoffs that have been described as “extreme misconduct,” resulting in the dismissal of four unionized staff members. Many view this situation as an effort to undermine the union.

The footage, recorded on Wednesday outside Duncan’s office on the 34th floor of One World Trade Center, captures around 20 editorial staffers who wanted to discuss the recent layoffs, including the merger of Teen Vogue and Vogue.com.

In the video, Duncan can be seen dismissing the employees’ requests, instructing them to “get back to work” before retreating into his office. One of the employees later criticized Duncan’s lack of engagement in an interview.

A few hours later, Condé Nast fired four employees involved in the confrontation—Jasper Law from The New Yorker, Jake LaFoot from Wired, Alma Abare from Bon Appétit, and Ben Dewey from Condé Nast Entertainment—citing “grave misconduct and policy violations.”

Condé Nast has also been under scrutiny following a federal labor complaint filed related to their handling of the situation.

At one point in the video, Duncan asked the group to stop “gathering” outside his office, and LaFoot challenged him on the definition of a gathering. Duncan insisted they should return to their duties, while Abare pressed him for answers, leading to a tense back-and-forth.

In response to a question about where employees could seek guidance, Duncan maintained that he couldn’t engage at that moment—indicating that he was preoccupied with other matters.

As the interaction escalated, employees voiced their concerns for their colleagues. Duncan was seen attempting to diffuse the situation by directing them away from his office before ultimately closing the door behind him.

Union representatives argue that the video contradicts the company’s reasoning for the firings. Susan DeCarava, president of the News Guild of New York, referred to the video as compelling evidence of employees exercising their rights to collective action. She accused the management of fabricating the narrative to intimidate the union.

While Condé Nast claims that the union members’ actions crossed the line into harassment and disruption, union leaders maintain that there is a broader context that the public does not see in the clips shared. They defend the necessity of holding management accountable, asserting that it’s a typical response when faced with such situations.