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Google's once happy offices feel the chill of layoffs

nytimes.com

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Re: Google's once happy offices feel the chill of layoffs

#51

Post by arielweisberg »

lapcat wrote: post #34
etrautmann wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That doesn’t address the tail risk concern, and a huge number of people are living far below a comfortable level. Just because it’s possible doesn’t mean it’s reasonable or desirable.

> That doesn’t address the tail risk concern Medicaid covers the cost of nursing homes, and it's not necessarily an advantage to have money saved just for that, because they'll just take the money anyway. Some people try to give away their assets to their families beforehand so that Medicaid will cover the costs, which is a legal no-no. > Just because it’s possible This is an understatement, when the subject is how 9…

My mother ran a senior family home for 15 year. Private business founded by her.

I do not want to end up in a Medicaid paid for nursing home or family home.

Even the stories of her residents coming from other expensive family homes were horrifying.

Elder care is horrifying.

People die in pain all the time from neglect and incompetence. People who came to her were regularly on their way to a painful death and she brought them back by just not being an idiot and putting in some effort.

Broken bones and many other conditions went undiagnosed or improperly diagnosed/treated. Doctors prescribing medication after medication to deal with the side effects of the medications they already prescribed that weren’t needed in the first place. Dosages all over the map that are inappropriate for someone in the given age and condition.

You better hope you keep your brain to manage your own medical care or have someone who can do it for you.

Re: Google's once happy offices feel the chill of layoffs

#52

Post by verteu »

laidoffamazon wrote: post #28

I don't recall a similar story when Amazon went through their first major layoffs in 2022 (which heavily hit their office on the same street as the Google Cambridge office mentioned in the first sentence), but I do recall stories about Google's layoffs including glossy photos of ex-Googlers and members of the Alphabet Workers Union. None when my current company did layoffs last year. At what point do non-Googlers mat…

I'd guess it's because Amazon doesn't have a reputation as a happy place to work.

Re: Google's once happy offices feel the chill of layoffs

#53

Post by giraffe_lady »

saalweachter wrote: post #32
lapcat wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> In a country with not much of a social safety net and runaway medical/elder care costs is there really another option? Yes, there is really another option, because most people don't even have the option of taking Google-level compensation. Indeed, it's very likely that working as a software engineer for less than BigCo compensation will still put you ahead financially of most people. "How is it an option to live li…

The tricky part is that there's "living within your means" and there's "living within what your means could be if you made significantly less money than you do now". You can live just fine -- hell, still be in a top income percentile -- on half of what a well compensated big tech SWE gets in their total comp package. But just as software expands to fill the hardware available, so do lifestyles expand to fit the budge…

Why do people think they're entitled to comfort, a rewarding job, and financial stability? Almost no one has these things.

We use the language of conflict and courage in making moral choices for a reason, it is an acknowledgement of the real costs, the allure of doing the remunerative thing. You won't go to jail or be ostracized for being a coward and building killing machines because it pays well. But you should not lie to yourself about there being a justification other than cowardice.

Almost no one actually gets to choose comfort over the safety of others, most people get neither. The few of us who have this choice and choose their own benefit deserve at least our contempt.

Re: Google's once happy offices feel the chill of layoffs

#54

Post by itishappy »

arielweisberg wrote: post #9
Sirizarry wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Programmers in my experience are some of the least risky people I know. The majority will absolutely take their talents to the next highest bidder regardless of moral or ethical scruples. I don’t blame em, personally, I also see it as the only logical outcome

In a country with not much of a social safety net and runaway medical/elder care costs is there really another option? You need to sock away massive amounts of money as quickly as possible if you want to reduce tail risk and as a side bonus you might get to reach financial freedom earlier. My choices would be very different if I didn't think I was more or less on my own.

> is there really another option?

Let's be super explicit here: you're arguing that risk reduction is your top priority, above any moral or ethical concerns. (And that risk reduction requires maximizing compensation.)

Can't really fault ya, but yeah, there is another option.

Re: Google's once happy offices feel the chill of layoffs

#56

Post by giraffe_lady »

CoastalCoder wrote: post #48
giraffe_lady wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Which homeland? My view of society extends beyond american borders, and it is not improved by the US drone bombing teenagers a world away.

I agree there's not a consensus on this kind of thing. My main takeaway is that voting (and organizing votes) really matters a lot.

"Should we violate the borders of other countries to bomb their citizens when it serves our interest" doesn't actually seem to be an issue americans get a meaningful vote-based choice about though. Bother parties seem to love that shit!

Re: Google's once happy offices feel the chill of layoffs

#57

Post by lapcat »

arielweisberg wrote: post #51
lapcat wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> That doesn’t address the tail risk concern Medicaid covers the cost of nursing homes, and it's not necessarily an advantage to have money saved just for that, because they'll just take the money anyway. Some people try to give away their assets to their families beforehand so that Medicaid will cover the costs, which is a legal no-no. > Just because it’s possible This is an understatement, when the subject is how 9…

My mother ran a senior family home for 15 year. Private business founded by her. I do not want to end up in a Medicaid paid for nursing home or family home. Even the stories of her residents coming from other expensive family homes were horrifying. Elder care is horrifying. People die in pain all the time from neglect and incompetence. People who came to her were regularly on their way to a painful death and she brou…

> Even the stories of her residents coming from other expensive family homes were horrifying.

You just made my point for me. The money you've saved won't actually "reduce tail risk".

To the contrary, your best strategy for that is to focus on your family rather than on your job, to ensure that there's someone on the tail end who cares enough about you to take care of you if you can no longer take care of yourself.

Re: Google's once happy offices feel the chill of layoffs

#58

Post by mgarfias »

scarface_74 wrote: post #36
AbstractAirways wrote: post #26

> "From an H.R. standpoint, this is a nightmare... It completely reverses their image as a desirable employer." Good. I mentor early career and nontraditional-background engineers, and among this set, Google has acquired a certain reputation. To paraphrase, if you can just pass the interview bar, you'll find yourself in an organization where the pay is amazing, the oversight is minimal, the visa/greencard policy is g…

And I would still recommend any early career person to “grind leetcode and work for a FAANG”. The money is too good to give up. I would also tell them to live below their means and save like crazy while they were there and to immediately sell their stock once it is vested and diversify. FWIW: I didn’t get into BigTech until 46. It served its purpose and I have no desire to go back to any large company. But again, I’m…

I’m feeling the same

Re: Google's once happy offices feel the chill of layoffs

#59

Post by fullshark »

superhuzza wrote: post #41
phreeza wrote: post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> If Google becomes less of a target for barely-qualified people who want to rest and vest, I'm all for it. Why though, do you work there?

Where did they say that they work at Google?

Why else would they want Google to have fewer engineers they consider fraudulent?

Re: Google's once happy offices feel the chill of layoffs

#60

Post by rightbyte »

AbstractAirways wrote: post #43
phreeza wrote: post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> If Google becomes less of a target for barely-qualified people who want to rest and vest, I'm all for it. Why though, do you work there?

Not anymore. I left years ago. As an anecdote, right before I left I did my standard self-assessment for performance season. I to my horror I realized that I had accomplished nothing for an entire year. This was largely (I believe...) due to factors outside my control: I did lots of work, but nothing came of it due to delays, procedural slowdown, project cancellations, etc. Instead of reprimanding me for this lack of…

What is your point with the example? If it was outside of your control, surely the manager did the right thing by ignoring that there was nothing accomplished in the end?
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