Google, Meta, Amazon hiring low-paid H1B workers after US layoffs • Hacker News Board

Re: Google, Meta, Amazon hiring low-paid H1B workers after US layoffs

#141

Post by ajmurmann » Sat, Sep 09, 2023, 1:16 PM UTC

oceanplexian wrote: post #86

lp4vn wrote: post #41

Me and many other people commented here when the whole thing started that layoffs in a time of record profits and cashflows were basically a strategy to keep salaries low. At this point I honestly don't know how innocent one has to be to think that everything is an organic coincidence and not an orchestrated move. Companies colluding to make the life of workers worse and boost their profits, that has never happened b…

I always have a healthy dose of skepticism when it comes to conspiracy stuff like this, but it's not like they weren't busted before. Apple and Google were caught red handed for their secret anti-poaching agreement (With the Jobs/Schmidt emails leaked to prove it). All these CEOs are in the same social circles, it's not a big reach to think they chat with each other behind the scenes about things like RTO, Layoffs, e…

I thought there was very open evidence of activist investors actively pushing for this

Re: Google, Meta, Amazon hiring low-paid H1B workers after US layoffs

#142

Post by raverbashing » Sat, Sep 09, 2023, 1:16 PM UTC

Not surprising attitude from these companies, at this point H1B are more "warm bodies" hired for low wages than hiring for talent (with all respect to the recipients of those visas)

But why does this site looks like an intranet site "best viewed with IE6"?

Re: Google, Meta, Amazon hiring low-paid H1B workers after US layoffs

#143

Post by bluedino » Sat, Sep 09, 2023, 1:16 PM UTC

hankchinaski wrote: post #4

High flying tech jobs bonanza is over. Check back in a couple of years

All the recruiters that were reaching out with 120-130k offers are now down to 80k. People will likely stay where they are at those rates

Re: Google, Meta, Amazon hiring low-paid H1B workers after US layoffs

#144

Post by nojvek » Sat, Sep 09, 2023, 1:17 PM UTC

jaimex2 wrote: post #96

Non-American here. Do H1B workers need to live in the US to work, or they can work remotely from their country?

Have to be on the US for the visa to be valid. They can go for holidays for a short period.

Re: Google, Meta, Amazon hiring low-paid H1B workers after US layoffs

#145

Post by bluedino » Sat, Sep 09, 2023, 1:17 PM UTC

jaimex2 wrote: post #96

Non-American here. Do H1B workers need to live in the US to work, or they can work remotely from their country?

You don't need a Visa if you don't live in the US

Re: Google, Meta, Amazon hiring low-paid H1B workers after US layoffs

#146

Post by manuelabeledo » Sat, Sep 09, 2023, 1:17 PM UTC

oceanplexian wrote: post #124

hejalajsbsb wrote: post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It depends on the company and I would bet my life’s savings that if a discrepancy exists at Google, it is not intentional. I have many American friends, friends on TN visas, and friends on H1Bs and we are transparent about our pay (to protect each other from poor business practices). Being involved in the process there are so many legal barriers and red tape and people take it all seriously. H1B holders will get paid…

I worked at FAANG and knew more than one Indian on H1B. They weren't getting paid "the same but slightly less". They were getting like 50k TC on a team where the rest of the team was making 200+.

> They were getting like 50k TC on a team where the rest of the team was making 200+.

I don't believe this for a second.

Were they outsourced?

Re: Google, Meta, Amazon hiring low-paid H1B workers after US layoffs

#147

Post by ajmurmann » Sat, Sep 09, 2023, 1:19 PM UTC

bradleyjg wrote: post #136

lp4vn wrote: post #104

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>This is one of the boomiest industries, with truly insane salaries How many software developers can, in a reasonable timeframe, buy a house in the place they live and support alone a family of four people? Then the truly insane salaries you are talking about are not really that insane. >Laying off makes sense. Sometimes you hire to backfill roles or for strategic teams. Sometimes an H1b is the correct hire. Develope…

How many software developers can, in a reasonable timeframe, buy a house in the place they live and support alone a family of four people? Then the truly insane salaries you are talking about are not really that insane. House prices have gone absolutely nuts in the last forty years. We are witnessing the largest generational transfer of wealth in the history of the world. Healthcare and education have also experience…

> It doesn’t change the fact that ratio of programmer salary to median salary has been moving way up.

This has been true up to about a year ago

Re: Google, Meta, Amazon hiring low-paid H1B workers after US layoffs

#148

Post by bell-cot » Sat, Sep 09, 2023, 1:20 PM UTC

aleph_minus_one wrote: post #101

bell-cot wrote: post #33

Daydream: American companies are allowed to replace well-paid American workers with ill-treated, ill-paid H1B workers all they want...with the small caveat that the highest replacement rates and worst ill-treat/-pay rates must occur the C suite.

> with the small caveat that the [...] worst [...] pay rates must occur the C suite. It is not uncommon that C suites don't get paid that much money: the big money that they make rather comes from bonuses.

That's fine - so long as the bottom-end H1B's are getting proportional bonuses, stock options, expense accounts, etc., etc.

Re: Google, Meta, Amazon hiring low-paid H1B workers after US layoffs

#149

Post by Zetice » Sat, Sep 09, 2023, 1:20 PM UTC

mikewarot wrote: post #99

I abhor any system that results in second hand citizens, such as the H1B program. It suppresses the general welfare, in service of capital. If I were able to, I'd give everyone in the program an immediate option for citizenship, and then cancel it. We clearly need to reform our immigration system.

H1Bs aren’t second hand citizens, and canceling the H1B program would trigger an immediate humanitarian crisis, not to mention completely shut off America’s main advantage in innovation; the idea that we don’t care where you’re from if you’re great at what you do.

Re: Google, Meta, Amazon hiring low-paid H1B workers after US layoffs

#150

Post by cj » Sat, Sep 09, 2023, 1:20 PM UTC

lp4vn wrote: post #104

nostrebored wrote: post #68

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Keep salaries low? This is one of the boomiest industries, with truly insane salaries, with years of employee-favorable conditions. Beyond that, we’re in for years of macroeconomic reckoning for unresolved asset bubbles in the 2000s and horrendously bad COVID policy. Laying off makes sense. Sometimes you hire to backfill roles or for strategic teams. Sometimes an H1b is the correct hire.

>This is one of the boomiest industries, with truly insane salaries How many software developers can, in a reasonable timeframe, buy a house in the place they live and support alone a family of four people? Then the truly insane salaries you are talking about are not really that insane. >Laying off makes sense. Sometimes you hire to backfill roles or for strategic teams. Sometimes an H1b is the correct hire. Develope…

> How many software developers can, in a reasonable timeframe, buy a house in the place they live and support alone a family of four people?

I'm not sure if this is sarcasm, but probably 80-90% assuming you adjust your living standards and move to an area that is affordable.

Yes, it's probably more like 10% if you're sending your kids to private school, buying a house in expensive metros, etc.