Ask HN: Location based pay is killing my motivation, how do others handle it? • Hacker News Board

Re: Ask HN: Location based pay is killing my motivation, how do others handle it?

#381

Post by p1esk » Tue, Sep 06, 2022, 1:36 PM UTC

redditor98654 wrote: post #319

patrulek wrote: post #250

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I'm just imagining this dude quitting and his manager suddenly realizing that no one else knows anything about the parts he worked on and how fucked they are now. I would bet its rarely a case. We like to think that we are irreplacable, but after our quit company/project is still moving on.

100%. I recently quit a job (FAANG) after 13 years and I thought I have so much institutional knowledge that mu departure would be impactful for at least a little while. And while I was under no illusion of my importance and did not expect any breakdown of the team or anything like that, I did think I would get at least ONE question after I left from my previous teammates about some obscure thing that I thought only…

No one asked me anything - they had no issues for which they had to reach out to me.

More likely no one cared.

Re: Ask HN: Location based pay is killing my motivation, how do others handle it?

#382

Post by withinboredom » Tue, Sep 06, 2022, 2:12 PM UTC

sokoloff wrote: post #301

withinboredom wrote: post #261

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> But if you want to work on a schedule that is not the same as a US dev, then you are worth somewhat less to me. Wow. So, a programmer, sitting in a seat during certain hours of the day is what makes a good programmer?

Not GP, but a programmer working the same hours as the people they need to regularly collaborate with is worth somewhat more than that same exact person working the other side of the clock.

I disagree.

There's nothing like working with someone who is only a couple of hours overlap. Progress happens 24 hours a day, and never stops to sleep except a short 1 day weekend. There's nothing like waking up to find the interface you defined the day before already implemented and a quick chat/meeting to figure out what was done and needs to be done.

Re: Ask HN: Location based pay is killing my motivation, how do others handle it?

#383

Post by adultSwim » Tue, Sep 06, 2022, 2:34 PM UTC

Organize. You are right. However, there is no easy solution for one individual. Right now you have zero bargaining power.

Together with the rest of the workers in your location you would have a bit of power. You would likely win concessions, though also a good chance of them closing your location entirely. Bringing in your higher paid coworkers could be quite strong, but that might be a tough sell.

Organizing with many others across your country and you might start getting somewhere. Transnationally, even more.

Best wishes.

Re: Ask HN: Location based pay is killing my motivation, how do others handle it?

#384

Post by MikeTheRocker » Wed, Sep 07, 2022, 1:05 PM UTC

xyzzy_plugh wrote: post #378

derefr wrote: post #366

Earlier quoted context omitted.

(Context clarification: I'm not an employee of a Canadian tech company; I'm a cofounder + major shareholder of one. I'm looking at this from the hiring side, not the being-hired side.) Wages might be "converging" to the same numeric value — CAD$N in Canada vs USD$N in the US — but those are, and have always been, very different amounts of money. The two countries are still nowhere near the sort of economic equilibriu…

> The two countries are still nowhere near the sort of economic equilibrium-state where Canadian companies are paying the prevailing US salary exchanged into Canadian dollars. You may be surprised to learn that this is quickly changing. > Take-home pay may be converging, but the cost to the company of hiring a salaried US employee — or even a US contractor, as long as you care about being equitable / not building res…

I've worked at a handful of FAANG companies in the Bay Area and Canada, and I have numerous close friends working at early to mid stage startups in San Francisco. Anecdotally, those at startups earn ~20-30% less cash and dramatically less total compensation if you consider the expected value of their equity packages. By my rough math, you really need to be employee <= 10 and exit at over $1B for the TC to surpass what a typical senior engineer can earn with far less risk at BigCo.

Re: Ask HN: Location based pay is killing my motivation, how do others handle it?

#385

Post by olololo » Wed, Sep 14, 2022, 7:27 AM UTC

It is ok. If you think that you cost more, you can apply for another job or migrate where it is paid more. If your employer and you agreed to this amount, it is fair. Pure economics. At another countries it is another costs of living. Difference in cultural aspects doesn’t is not an argument. Anyway communism doesn’t work.