Sorry to hear, Adam! Know that this isn't about you — it's them. Unfortunately, we are all cogs in this capitalistic system where replacement isn't a matter of if, but when...
Googler... ex-Googler
301–310 of 1001 posts
Re: Googler... ex-Googler
#302Earlier quoted context omitted.
What happens if your company supports billions of dollars in economic output, and a few employees decides to go rogue and sabotage some systems that then causes an international loss of billions of dollars, and possibly property damages and loss of life? If you were the CEO, would you take criminal/financial responsibility for that?
There are companies that support billions of economic output in countries which require a notice period. If they thought it was a risk that they would be taken down be a rogue employee, they have the option of putting them on 'gardening leave' during the notice period. This is extremely rare; they know the risk is insignificant so they are more keen to get any remaining value from the relationship (work, handover). I…
The "garden leave" approach is the standard in the US. 3-6 months of severance pay, but you lose access to company systems immediately.
Re: Googler... ex-Googler
#303Earlier quoted context omitted.
Weird, as someone from Europe I've never experience anything else. Layoffs here are always done in conjunction with the unions. People are moved to different jobs, helped with training etc... Only in very critical jobs they'd walk you out immediately but then you still get the pay.
It really depends on the people you work for, it's not like Europe is some kind of paradise in this matter. I was working as a contractor for a company in Germany, after a few years working together, they cut me off from one day to the next (the new manager decided to start saving money), even though my contract included a clause about a one-month notice period. They didn’t even bother to pay the invoice for the work…
Working as a contractor means you're self-employed and the relations you have with "your boss" are a B2B relationship where you agree to get something done in exchange for money - no different from renting office space or servers. Since you're a business owner, you're expected to be competent in the areas of business (which can be cut-throat) and law. You chose to take on this risk by being a contractor.
Re: Googler... ex-Googler
#304Earlier quoted context omitted.
> People who worked there for 40+ years were basically given a few months' pay Those few months pay thing is the key difference. That is legally mandated.
You also get a few months pay in the US unless the company is truly broke.
Incorrect. It's at-will employment.
Re: Googler... ex-Googler
#305Earlier quoted context omitted.
> I recommended learning how to separate your value from your employer. This is a very recent development. Through the entirety of human history you'd keep working for the same employer for your entire life, which means it was very much worth it to cultivate that relationship, it's only now that we change jobs every two years. A friend of mine has a company in a very small town, and was complaining about an employee…
> Through the entirety of human history you'd keep working for the same employer for your entire life Hardly. This type of arrangement was short-lived and anomalous. It was roughly true in rich economies during a few decades of the post-war era. Never before, and not for most people around the world. Relationships are worth cultivating any time, of course, but one shouldn't mistake a job for a life. The idea that a j…
It used to be sort of true in the Soviet sphere. By sort of, it was more like an employer for life rather than the exact job. Unless rhe company went under which was rare.
Re: Googler... ex-Googler
#306Earlier quoted context omitted.
In France you can't layoff people on the spot, there is a 3 months notice. And I've yet to hear about employees going rogue. Maybe in US laid off employees can go rogue because they're treated like shit in the process?
US laid off employees also get 3-6 months of full pay and benefits. They just lose access to the building and their work devices immediately. I imagine it's no different in France.
> I imagine it's no different in France.
He literally just told you it’s different in France?
Re: Googler... ex-Googler
#307Layoffs are a difficult thing for employees and their managers. I have seen people (one was a VP of Engineering) escorted out of the building, sent in a cab to home along with a security guard (this was in India), not allowed access to computer or talk with other employees. But, recently have had a very different experience. The current company I work for announced 30% layoffs. The list was made public within one hou…
Wow, I've never heard of terminated employees being able to keep their corporate laptops before. Did IT at least wipe them first?
Re: Googler... ex-Googler
#308Earlier quoted context omitted.
> Weird, as someone from Europe I've never experience anything else. As someone from Europe, I’ve never experienced US salaries. Go figure.
what about US costs of living?
Many European cities aren't exactly low cost of living, and those that are have even lower salaries.
In the end someone who was working at Google in the Bay Area for 15-20 years can retire if they didn't have life style creep (which is different than cost of living). Not the case in Europe.
Re: Googler... ex-Googler
#309Earlier quoted context omitted.
You spend half your waking hours at work. Having a shitty attitude for that much of your life is no way to live.
On the contrary, being stuck in a situation where your livelihood can disappear at a moment's notice due to factors beyond your control is no way to live, but it's also not really something most people will ever be able to avoid. I don't at all buy into the idea that somehow pretending the situation isn't shitty is somehow more virtuous or fulfilling; what you call a "shitty attitude" sounds more like "being realisti…
> being stuck in a situation where your livelihood can disappear at a moment's notice due to factors beyond your control is no way to live
That is literally the only way to live. Disaster stalks us an is only ever one misstep away (sometimes literally). In rare instances people can even just fall over and die.
In the sense that there should be food and shelter for everyone, even poor people; strictly speaking I think most countries have already agreed to that. Although how well that gets implemented is open to a lot of debate. But beyond that everything can always change at a moments notice.
Re: Googler... ex-Googler
#310Tangentially, I thought the term Xoogler was used to refer to an ex-Googler. Or has that term fallen into disuse now?
The term still exists, but it's not one you'd expect people outside Google to be familiar with.
Is it pronounced like “shoogler” or like “zoogler?” Or do they buy a vowel and say “exoogler?”