Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff's ICE jokes that upset employees and made company 'threaten' those who leaked them; make president Robin Washington tell employees at Townhall ...

Salesforce leadership sought to clam internal tensions on March 5, after CEO Marc Benioff’s recent jokes about Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) upset employees and sparked leaks to the press.

According to a report by Business Insider, at the company’s first all-hands meeting since the February incident, company president Robin Washington who is also the COO and CFO of Salesfoce, acknowledged the controversy without directly referencing Benioff’s remarks. “We’ve got different ways of thinking, different opinions, different ways that we approach things,” Washington told employees, according to audio reviewed by Business Insider.

“What unites us is our values and how we take care of our employees. It doesn’t mean we get it right all the time, but when we don’t, we appropriately engage.”

Employee backlash on CEO Marc Benioff's ICE jokes

Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff joked about ICE was tracking international employees drew a lot of criticism within the organisation. Salesforce co-founder Parker Harris also publicly said, “Marc made a very bad joke, and I’m not OK with it.” Employees expressed frustration not only with the remarks but also with reports that the company threatened those who leaked them.

Washington emphasised that Salesforce has been “doing a lot of listening” through team meetings and feedback sessions. “It’s really important feedback and I want you to know that you’ve all been heard, that we’re listening and that we’re appropriately adjusting,” she said.

Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff's ICE jokes at Townhall

Last month, Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff stirred a controversy by making jokes about US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) surveilling international workers.

As per reports, during an internal meeting Benioff asked employees who had traveled from outside the US to stand up—then quipped that ICE agents were in the building keeping tabs on them. The joke then angered some Salesforce employees.

After the incident Salesforce founder Parker Harris condemned the joke saying he was "not OK with it”. "Marc made a very bad joke," Harris, said adding "But that's something that Marc did, and I'm not gonna call him out in public out on the internet." He said that Salesforce is "not a political organization" and encouraged employees to make their views known at the ballot box.”