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Big Tech Resumed Hiring Foreign Workers Just Weeks After Layoffs

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Re: Big Tech Resumed Hiring Foreign Workers Just Weeks After Layoffs

#61

Post by notyourwork »

la64710 wrote: post #29
mathgeek wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The implied “problem” is that these companies are loopholing the H1-B process to hire for positions that American workers were laid off from. Of course, lawyers know how to make things work. > The intent of the H-1B provisions is to help employers who cannot otherwise obtain needed business skills and abilities from the U.S. workforce by authorizing the temporary employment of qualified individuals who are not otherw…

Most comment proves how readers easily see through garbage article like this nowadays. Maybe transparency is a good thing after all.

This audience isn’t the same as the population at large. Many would conclude from this headline the wrong thing and not see through the BS.

Re: Big Tech Resumed Hiring Foreign Workers Just Weeks After Layoffs

#62

Post by Gigachad »

whaleofatw2022 wrote: post #54
Gigachad wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Americans like to think they have a monopoly on skilled programmers. But the reality is that most countries have them and they will do the same work for a fraction of the price. Everything is done over the internet these days so it doesn't matter that much where you are located.

We still have a monopoly on good language practices for American english and/or AFAIK how to actually build something that solves business needs rather than requirements. We saw similar between 2005ish-2015ish. Lots of offshoring where you could get whatever you 'wanted' built, but it was exactly what you 'wanted' and not what actually made sense. By this I am referring to contract houses that weren't quite 'code gen…

You are probably thinking about dirt cheap outsourcing to places like India. When part of the shift that's happening now is internal hiring of full time developers in places like Australia or the UK where the language skills and culture is pretty much the same but the wages far lower.

Re: Big Tech Resumed Hiring Foreign Workers Just Weeks After Layoffs

#63

Post by thaumasiotes »

bitL wrote: post #44
makeitdouble wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm with you on principle. To my knowledge, the main barriers are managing the payroll: how do you deal with each countries' laws and obligations for each of your remote employees ? The traditional way to do that at scale is to go through a local proxy company that abstracts the complexity and is the legal entity responsible for the workers in that country. Except you have to pay that middle-men, maintain an ongoing…

You don't have to. Your foreign workers can be independent consultants receiving money from you, paying their own taxes. You just need their W-8BEN every year.

In my experience, there is nothing an employer hates more than the idea of letting employees become contractors.

Re: Big Tech Resumed Hiring Foreign Workers Just Weeks After Layoffs

#64

Post by kazamaloo »

whaleofatw2022 wrote: post #43
darth_avocado wrote: post #17

There are multiple missing things for this: 1. Layoffs happened regardless of visa status, so visa workers were part of the layoffs. 2. The visa applications for H1B could be for workers already working in the company under a different visa like TN or F1 3. The positions affected by layoffs and positions filing for H1B could be different. For example, a front end position may be affected by layoffs, but the visa appl…

>Many of the Google visas are for new employees, with some starting as soon as August 17th. Refutes at least two points you made if not three..

Not sure how the article knows "new" employees, but something doesn't click for me. H1B visas kick in on October 1st of each year. August 17th can only be for H1B transfers. Might still be a new employee, but definitely not someone coming from overseas.

Re: Big Tech Resumed Hiring Foreign Workers Just Weeks After Layoffs

#65

Post by belltaco »

stefan_ wrote: post #50
paxys wrote: post #25

Whoever wrote this doesn't understand how the H-1B system works. Most of these applications are for existing employees of the company who are on some other kind of work authorization (like EAD or OPT). Because of the lottery they have to reapply every year for 3-4 years until their authorization expires. The layoffs have nothing to do with anything.

That doesn't make a difference to the H-1B requirements. No other domestic worker could do the same job? It's a scam.

That's not the requirement. It's frustrating to see otherwise smart people on every single tech board ever since decades to not understand work visa and employment green card requirements and the difference between them.

Re: Big Tech Resumed Hiring Foreign Workers Just Weeks After Layoffs

#66

Post by farhanhubble »

While opinions differ about whether the article has any merit, I know that when California brought the AB5 bill several top quality folks doing "side gigs" for my then employer were subtly let go because the management believed that the nature of their association with us brought them within the ambit of "contractor". They were quickly replaced with people from cheaper locales.

I've also seen documents supporting a few H1B filings and know that most of the skills mentioned in their are fabricated.

So yes companies do this regularly to cut costs in the name of layoffs and talent shortage.

Re: Big Tech Resumed Hiring Foreign Workers Just Weeks After Layoffs

#68

Post by thomasahle »

Frost1x wrote: post #55
paxys wrote: post #25

Whoever wrote this doesn't understand how the H-1B system works. Most of these applications are for existing employees of the company who are on some other kind of work authorization (like EAD or OPT). Because of the lottery they have to reapply every year for 3-4 years until their authorization expires. The layoffs have nothing to do with anything.

>The layoffs have nothing to do with anything. They probably should though, at least I think so. With mass layoffs of this scale, it seems like H1B roles should be the on the top of chopping block if we're keeping in the spirit of the actual purpose of the program. That means those H1B roles should have been so unique and world class talented that they were considered irreplaceable by the other thousands laid off. It…

> this should be pretty easy to provide evidence for if your holders are say Google Fellows (picking Google as an example) or the Peter Norvigs of the world.

Google Fellows wouldn't be on H-1B but on O-1.

The H-1B visa is a good fit for foreign nationals in the early to mid-stages of their careers hoping to expand their experience by working in the U.S. The O-1 visa is generally suited for established professionals and researchers.

Re: Big Tech Resumed Hiring Foreign Workers Just Weeks After Layoffs

#70

Post by bradleyjg »

belltaco wrote: post #65
stefan_ wrote: post #50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That doesn't make a difference to the H-1B requirements. No other domestic worker could do the same job? It's a scam.

That's not the requirement. It's frustrating to see otherwise smart people on every single tech board ever since decades to not understand work visa and employment green card requirements and the difference between them.

You’re right about the law, however the rhetoric from tech executives testifying before Congress in favor of increased visa issuances has always been about a shortage of workers. So this misconception people have didn’t come from nowhere.
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