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Meta fires a software engineer two days after he relocated from India to Canada

businessinsider.com

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Re: Meta fires a software engineer two days after he relocated from India to Canada

#101

Post by SXX »

weatherlite wrote: post #47
SXX wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I wouldn't be so certain that his contract is as good as contract of US citizen working for Meta. Whole point of hiring and relocating people from abroad is that they have much weaker negotiation position so they usually being paid much less.

It remains to be seen whether relocating someone will still be a thing as much as it is now. I mean, we have remote tools and most big companies have branches everywhere in the world. Why bother with visas, lawyers and tragic cases like this. Sure for people who want to become a citizen somewhere in the West its great. For the companies I'm not that sure its better than the alternatives.

Relocation to US / Canada is usually primary reason why people look for offers like that. No amount of remote tools an offices abroad will ever replace option to move countries.

I am immigrant myself who want to get to EU / US at some point so I can understand reasons of other people really well.

Re: Meta fires a software engineer two days after he relocated from India to Canada

#102

Post by johannes1234321 »

mduggles wrote: post #66

I'm horrified by so many of the comments here that seem to lack even the most basic of human decency. Allow me to fill people in for those who have never uprooted your life and moved across the world for a job. It is a massive commitment on the part of the employee, where you sell the majority of your earthly possessions, property, cars, etc. Then you go through an immigration process which even if its handled by FAA…

> you sell the majority of your earthly possessions

Not only those. You give up being able to easily meet your family, friends, ... your favorite spot for hanging out is gone and you are in a completely different society, with other ways how things are done.

And then in this case with just two days in you are probably still in some temporary housing.

For staying you need to find a new job, quickly and a new apartment (which is hard without a job and without permanent visa) and when going home you likely will be marked as a loser who couldn't do it.

Re: Meta fires a software engineer two days after he relocated from India to Canada

#103

Post by weatherlite »

SXX wrote: post #101
weatherlite wrote: post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It remains to be seen whether relocating someone will still be a thing as much as it is now. I mean, we have remote tools and most big companies have branches everywhere in the world. Why bother with visas, lawyers and tragic cases like this. Sure for people who want to become a citizen somewhere in the West its great. For the companies I'm not that sure its better than the alternatives.

Relocation to US / Canada is usually primary reason why people look for offers like that. No amount of remote tools an offices abroad will ever replace option to move countries. I am immigrant myself who want to get to EU / US at some point so I can understand reasons of other people really well.

You're saying there aren't enough good Indian engineers who will agree to work for Meta from India? I highly doubt that's accurate.

Re: Meta fires a software engineer two days after he relocated from India to Canada

#105

Post by user_7832 »

autotune wrote: post #99
user_7832 wrote: post #92

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> This is not worthy of a story suddenly just because it happened at a META company. You're right. This behavior by a company should be criticized regardless of whether or not they're large or famous. ...Though it appears that you don't think any such stories should exist?

>...Though it appears that you don't think any such stories should exist? Where did you get that idea from?

I mean your comments talk about how "everyone has it, why is this particular story news". Which makes it sound like you don't get the point of this specific story existing (sorry for poor grammar/wording).

Re: Meta fires a software engineer two days after he relocated from India to Canada

#106

Post by School-Cotton »

SXX wrote: post #17
jbverschoor wrote: post #2

So he gets 4 months of pay, his signing bonus, and all if his shares vest immediately.

I wouldn't be so certain that his contract is as good as contract of US citizen working for Meta. Whole point of hiring and relocating people from abroad is that they have much weaker negotiation position so they usually being paid much less.

This really isn’t true at Meta or other top companies. They hire people from abroad simply because the USA is only 5% of the world and they don’t want to miss out on 95% of the talent.

I worked at Meta and we had thoroughly reverse-engineered compensation formulas in internal discussion groups. Whether you were a citizen or on a visa made zero difference.

Re: Meta fires a software engineer two days after he relocated from India to Canada

#107

Post by darkwater »

lm28469 wrote: post #39
autotune wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have been laid off, or close to being laid off in that I had to leave, something like 3 different positions since the start of the pandemic and unemployed for around 6 months (doing amazing now in a recent role but that is besides the point). Was borderline close to being forced to move back in with my parents. I never got a story written up for me about that. I feel sympathy for many of those folks, but why should…

"My life sucked but I didn't say anything so you better shut up about your problems" I never understood people who think like that. It's no ok and people shouldn't feel ok about it

Because there is this "heroic tale-telling" where you had been so strong and good for chewing up how you were mistreated, and everybody should just do the same. "Fight to find a new job, you can do it, you are a warrior!"

Re: Meta fires a software engineer two days after he relocated from India to Canada

#108

Post by lynx23 »

mduggles wrote: post #66

I'm horrified by so many of the comments here that seem to lack even the most basic of human decency. Allow me to fill people in for those who have never uprooted your life and moved across the world for a job. It is a massive commitment on the part of the employee, where you sell the majority of your earthly possessions, property, cars, etc. Then you go through an immigration process which even if its handled by FAA…

So, you advocate that employees from abroad should have some sort of default lay-off protection? Why do you think this is fair?

Re: Meta fires a software engineer two days after he relocated from India to Canada

#109

Post by tibbydudeza »

tjpnz wrote: post #104
tibbydudeza wrote: post #27

Quoted post unavailable.

This could happen to anyone working under an at will system. Nice generalisation of SMEs btw.

I don't work in the US so "at will" is meaningless to me - unlike the US we have decent labor laws and unemployment.

On the SME thing - working on a new database, a replacement for C++, come on really - why is this PO not being processed - it pays the bills and working on interesting stuff after hours :).

Re: Meta fires a software engineer two days after he relocated from India to Canada

#110

Post by aww_dang »

zinckiwi wrote: post #5
jbverschoor wrote: post #2

So he gets 4 months of pay, his signing bonus, and all if his shares vest immediately.

I’m not knowledgeable about Canadian work visas specifically, but many countries extend them only within the context of specific employment. In other words, he may need to take what he can get, in a rough economy, under immense stress (as someone who has lived in that situation before can attest to), lest he have to go all the way back.

If he wanted to live and work in Canada, wouldn't applying for jobs in Canada be easier than applying while living in India?

As much as I dislike FB as a company, I'm not sure he is worse off?

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