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Ask HN: Remote Employees Double-Dipping?

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Re: Ask HN: Remote Employees Double-Dipping?

#91

Post by le-mark »

throwaway46263 wrote: post #79

As a heads up: We have a remote employee (who is on HN). He's not exceptionally fast, and we suspect he is doing this. We'll fire him if we can prove it. From our stand point, we're paying a full time salary but not getting full time results. Pretty much theft. We think...

> we're paying a full time salary but not getting full time results.

Ha! If this person isn't meeting expectations then fire them! Posting here like this says more about your dysfunctional org and management than anything.

Re: Ask HN: Remote Employees Double-Dipping?

#92

Post by watwut »

candiodari wrote: post #50
watwut wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It is ok when you don't lie in the process. It is not ok when you pretend to work full time while actually working only equivalent of part time in each workplace (does not matter all that much whether drop in productivity is due to burnout or cheating on time spent by working). The productivity of programmers is often hard to measure, if you don't take advantage of it then it is fine. There are jobs that dont require…

Isn't it wrong for a company to lie about things like remuneration and money too ? Is it okay for companies to pay people they claim internally have the same pay (for the same work), but pay them differently based on things like location ?

"Isn't it wrong for a company to lie about things like remuneration and money too ?"

Yes it is wrong.

"Is it okay for companies to pay people they claim internally have the same pay (for the same work), but pay them differently based on things like location ?"

It is ok to pay different amount of money to workers living in different states (if that is what you mean). Assuming the company did not mislead the worker before accepting the job at lower paid location.

Re: Ask HN: Remote Employees Double-Dipping?

#93

Post by logfromblammo »

scalesolved wrote: post #57
logfromblammo wrote: post #39

I'd love to have just one full-time remote job. Anyone managing to do two at once more than makes up for any points lost on ethical grounds with the bonus points for technical chops and sheer moxie. If ever were in such an enviable position, these are the potential pitfalls I might see. - The companies schedule mandatory meetings at the same time. - The companies schedule on-site days that make travel arrangements im…

Have you applied to lots of remote jobs? What's been the biggest hurdle for you in getting one?

A big hurdle has been the part where jobs advertised as remote turn out to be not really remote in the initial phone interview. Having to be on-site for M days per week or N weeks per quarter, or even requiring an initial on-site training period of L weeks, still puts a geographic limit on what I can actually accept. Either a lot of people are lying about remote work, or the companies that are truly remote don't want to interview me--possibly both.

I haven't stopped applying, but my expectations have fallen pretty far since the first one I tried in 2008. That was Universal Mind, and they told me I didn't have enough experience in Adobe Flex to interview with them. I had worked with it for about 8 months at that point, which isn't bad for something released in 2004. So from my perspective, a lot of those companies seem to think that since they can hire from anywhere, they should only hire the top quintile of everyone, and my resume definitely doesn't radiate that rockstar aura.

Re: Ask HN: Remote Employees Double-Dipping?

#94

Post by jabv »

jefecoon wrote: post #58

Long time ago, in a dot.com startup epoch long ago: Our Seattle/Bellevue based startup hired VP & Dir of outside sales in Silicon Valley. Expensive hires, big payout to recruiting firm, then these two proved extremely difficult to get on the phone, schedule meetings with, et al. SVP Sales flew in unexpectedly, called & had them pick him up at San Jose Airport. When he threw his bag into the trunk he noticed they had…

Crazy story! Just fyi, "et al." is usually used to mean "and other people," and "etc." is usually used to mean "and other such stuff."

Re: Ask HN: Remote Employees Double-Dipping?

#95

Post by jldugger »

MichaelGG wrote: post #34
jldugger wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well, the retirement fund might be more CoL adjusted, if you intend to retire to the same region you currently reside.

You shouldn't have to decide that up front. Plus someone living in a high-rent area then gets a huge retirement bonus and allows them the option to move somewhere else. Someone in a low-rent area doesn't get that option at all.

All true, and yet I imagine a lot of people think in different terms about retirement.

Re: Ask HN: Remote Employees Double-Dipping?

#96

Post by scalesolved »

dasmoth wrote: post #72
ohstopitu wrote: post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

While I can't comment on Travis CI, Gitlab from what I understand, used to hire a 3rd party company that would perform research (based on cost of living, taxes etc.) to gauge your salary (across different regions). That said, what's stopping remote engineers starting to work in expensive regions (say Vancover/Toronto) and then moving to cheaper regions (Saskatchewan/Manitoba/Alberta) for example - would salaries be a…

That said, what's stopping remote engineers starting to work in expensive regions (say Vancover/Toronto) and then moving to cheaper regions (Saskatchewan/Manitoba/Alberta) for example - would salaries be adjusted every time someone moves around? Gitlab people on here have previously said yes: pay gets adjusted when you move.

So move to Monaco, get your pay adjusted upwards crazily. Then leave but just rent a PO Box there and use a VPN to make it seem like you are there. Simple :D

Re: Ask HN: Remote Employees Double-Dipping?

#97

Post by _a1 »

I've done it for exactly two months, I am a remote contractor and had started a new contract when I already had one running, did not think it was something I could've kept doing for long but I'm happy I tried it.

I was working two full time jobs in two different startups. Scheduling meetings between different parties was not an issue at all, I did scrum meetings in the morning in the first contract which happened every other day on the same hour, and I would make sure to schedule the other meetings in the other contract towards the end of the day. What I did notice is that, although I could pull it off if I really wanted to and needed both jobs, and although I love working, I had to trade off creativity in my work, as in I couldn't pull an all-nighter working on new idea for an aggregation framework or try to get ahead and impress anymore, and only felt like working to get the work done and get through the day. I believe that the quality of my work remained the same, but I lost all the fun in it, and strongly felt that my time wasn't my own anymore. Needless to say, it kills all your time and [depending on the nature of your job] you gravitate towards robot-like behaviour and lifestyle.

Wouldn't do it again, I can afford to make less, but happy I got a glimpse of what was humanly possible for me to do, even if it's only for a span of two months!

Re: Ask HN: Remote Employees Double-Dipping?

#98

Post by pkaye »

freestockoption wrote: post #75
pkaye wrote: post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There was an engineering director at one of my previous workplaces that was a little hard to reach. People though he was attending high level meetings including his reports. One of them called him once during work and he answered by the name of another company unintentionally. They spoke with HR and through some investigations found out the guy was coming to work and during the middle of the day going to his other jo…

How did he answer the phone? Something like: "This is Mike Smith with Widgets Corporation" My greeting is usually short: "Hi, this is Mike."

I would guess the former since he got caught.

Re: Ask HN: Remote Employees Double-Dipping?

#99

Post by amjadcsu »

I was working 2 part time jobs as software developer/system admin in different cities . Though it does not count in the context of this thread as neither was remote and not full time But both my managers knew that what i was working. 8-12 one job then other job 1-4. Mind you the two jobs where in different cities and there was a commute of 30 mins between cities. Though i was junior most in both places . i guess the managers gave me leeway . I guess it all depends on your honesty and your responsibilities,

Re: Ask HN: Remote Employees Double-Dipping?

#100

Post by marktangotango »

_a1 wrote: post #97

I've done it for exactly two months, I am a remote contractor and had started a new contract when I already had one running, did not think it was something I could've kept doing for long but I'm happy I tried it. I was working two full time jobs in two different startups. Scheduling meetings between different parties was not an issue at all, I did scrum meetings in the morning in the first contract which happened eve…

Thanks you, this is the only reply with real experience doing this.
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