121–130 of 238 posts
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> Whereas it's much easier for a W-2 employer to claim IP made in personal time. I've heard this mentioned a lot but how often does it happen and how much of a risk is it? Employees developing IP in personal time doesn't seem like it would be that common.
"This project happens to be owned by Google" is common for a reason.
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Or they could hire them as employees. This is not temporary work, they only use agencies to save money and circumvent workers protections. I get that there are freelancers who like not being employees but that's not the case here. I bet most Temps at Google would love getting employee status and there's no reason most of them shouldn't. It's not like Google couldn't afford the extra payroll.
>Or they could hire them as employees. some people don't want to be employees, they want to be contractors.
Highly educated, well-paid people much more likely than people doing physical jobs. If you can negotiate your rates, your projects and can skip some corporate bullshit that fits some people. With a physical job where the wage is hardly enough until next pay day, I doubt that is a preferred option for many.
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They They could hire a smaller of more qualified and invest more into automation. The only reason Google is doing this is because they don't want to spend the same amount on benefits and other overhead on 15$ per hour worker as they do for a 30$ per hour one.
They have the $15/hour contractors lugging batteries, hell yea they should invest in automation, but unfortunately as you point out the legal environment does not incentivize them to do so.
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> Forcing freelancers into W-2 status is just another example of the government screwing people over "for their own good". It's the government screwing _some_ people over for the good of everyone else, where it's presumed that "good of everyone else" is worth more to society than what is lost by those that get screwed over by it. At least, that's generally the intent.
Ahh the old "Greater Good", the most evil phrase in the English Language Anyone attempting to do anything for "the greater good" should be viewed with suspicion and disrespect as most at best what they are attempting to do no matter the intent will fail and harm more people than it will help At worst is it just a shield to cover their immoral actions, or thirst for power Every person that values freedom, individualit…
Curious what you think about COVID lockdowns then
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They have the $15/hour contractors lugging batteries, hell yea they should invest in automation, but unfortunately as you point out the legal environment does not incentivize them to do so.
Why should they be incentivized to automate? That just places even more downward pressure the price of low-skill labor.
>Contractors love the good pay and engaging work in Google's data centers. They resent that Google and its staffing firm, Modis Engineering, make them quit every two years. >[...] But those two-year contracts are written in stone. Workers like Wait are not usually allowed to apply either to renew their contracts or to do the same job as a Google employee. If they want to keep working in the same job, they have to lea…
Given their "fuck it" roots, I'm not actually sure how much of a shield they provided between you and Microsoft's Accounts Payable. I bet they paid you every week like most of these staffing firms no matter how fast or slow Microsoft felt like paying its invoices. I'm also pretty sure they provided you with equipment (though how that works if you are also a 1099... I'm not sure).
What a lot of people who haven't done true 1099 work don't realize is... people and companies can be incredibly slow paying you. And as a 1099 you are your own collection agency so it's upon you to hassle them into paying you.
What I'm saying is... if there is a will there is a way. I bet there is more than a few Microsoft contractors who act like their own agency. It's probably a lot of paperwork, and I have no clue if it is worth it.
I’m getting tired of these low-value workers complaining they should be paid as well as high-value workers. They were hired with no skills, and were trained from the ground up. They are getting a livable wage but now they want more. If they want more, they need to elevate their worth and become high value employees or find a better job that values them better. They are contractors. Because of their particular life ex…
Read the article - they aren't complaining about pay, they are complaining about job security. They are doing work that is going to be needed for the foreseeable future but can only work 2 years before they have to leave (for a period).
If they want a full time job, they need to elevate themselves. Educate yourself, get a degree, find a new job, become management etc. Lots of paths to job security. Just because people want job security doesn’t mean they deserve it.
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Isn't it? Isn't that what the "bodyshop" is for? To protect the dynamic the buyer exploited previously, but now with a rent-seeker in the middle? It doesn't seem like the workers on either end are better protected as a result. Honestly asking.
You're mostly right, although the way I see it is this: there are a few subclasses of independent contractor. At the top are people with high hourly rates who have niche skillsets and want to work on their own with minimal involvement in the company with which they have a contract. In the middle are the perma-temps involved in the Microsoft lawsuit or at H-1B shops, usually fairly well-paid but lacking many benefits…
Without getting too political, I really feel like untying health insurance from employment would transform the labor market and encourage far more entrepreneurial endeavors. People could take more risks if they didn't have to worry about losing healthcare coverage.
There are obvious tradeoffs involved, but I really never see this aspect considered in public debate. Making healthcare independent of employment really empowers people to do their own thing.
I’m getting tired of these low-value workers complaining they should be paid as well as high-value workers. They were hired with no skills, and were trained from the ground up. They are getting a livable wage but now they want more. If they want more, they need to elevate their worth and become high value employees or find a better job that values them better. They are contractors. Because of their particular life ex…
To me, it sounds as though these people want to be treated fairly and with humanity. I don't think it is unreasonable to expect that businesses in our society treat people as investments and give opportunities for upward mobility, not fire them every two years and pay them half as much as their counterparts who do the same job but wear a different color badge. I work for Google, opinions are my own.
How much of your salary are you willing to give up so that these people get their job security?
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Ahh the old "Greater Good", the most evil phrase in the English Language Anyone attempting to do anything for "the greater good" should be viewed with suspicion and disrespect as most at best what they are attempting to do no matter the intent will fail and harm more people than it will help At worst is it just a shield to cover their immoral actions, or thirst for power Every person that values freedom, individualit…
> Every person that values freedom, individuality, and prosperity should reject any policy or law that is based on a "greater good" narrative Curious what you think about COVID lockdowns then