Google (and other tech firms) looking into paying employees less if they work from home

[Generals]

Honestly, a pay-cut really only makes sense for people living well out of the area because pay rate is tied to the cost of living of the area. Like someone working in Chicago is gonna get paid more than someone living in the Springfield, IL for the same job. If someone lives across the street from the office building, then adjusting for cost of living makes no sense. Also, a company might have already been paying work-from-home people less before the pandemic because working from home is obviously a perk. I don't really see a problem with adjusting for those things IF, and it's a big fucking IF, the company is honestly adjusting the pay appropriately. Lastly, a pay-cut is a really fucking bad way of making said adjustments.

I remember the good old days when (over here at least) you were compensated for working at home because the logic was: when you work at home you need to buy office supplies and your bills increase (heating, electricity,...) therefor a small daily fee per day worked at home seemed reasonable. Than bosses realized people truly enjoyed working from home and the flexibility it offered. And now you no longer hear of such compensations except in companies which are stuck with them because unions refuse to give away that perk. Times change very quickly...

 

[Baffle]

This is absolute bullshit.

Their justification is that people are saving money by working from home, but it's not like the company isn't saving money by having people work from home. If half your workforce works from home the company can downsize office space, or rent out half the space to another company and make money off it. Google wants to cut employee salaries while at the same time saving money on their property and the amenities they provide their employees.

And they're basing their pay cuts on the fact that they now choose to live in less expensive areas? How is it any of google's business where they live? If those employees decided to move to a more expensive area it's not like Google would suddenly pay them more. If they bought houses in Beverly hills their salaries wouldn't suddenly increase because their cost of living went up, why should their salaries decrease because their cost of living went down?

It's such a colossal scam and I hope the employees sue over this.

Headline:
Google Doubles Down on Commercial Real Estate With $7 Billion Nationwide Investment

Google Doubles Down on Commercial Real Estate With $7 Billion Nationwide Investment

Despite pandemic uncertainty, the tech giant is betting big that American workers will return to the office

www.architecturaldigest.com

Suspect Alphabet wants to set an example.

 

[MrCalavera]

Not an option for all of us, sadly.

I understand.

Still, when available, and when dealing with a moloch like Google unionization is basicly a self-defence mechanism. Not to mention the general poor level of worker's leverage in the IT segment.

 

[Seanchaidh]

Efficient and good for everyone

 

[Buyetyen]

And no surprise, the capitalists are here to tell us why we should welcome corporations paying us even less than they already do.

 

[Cheetodust]

And no surprise, the capitalists are here to tell us why we should welcome corporations paying us even less than they already do.

There really is no line.

 

[The Rogue Wolf]

Efficient and good for everyone

They're saying the quiet parts out loud again- "we want to treat other human beings like dogs".

 

[XsjadoBlayde]

Efficient and good for everyone

Wait, was this not the main driving factor behind capitalism as we know it to be through history anyway?

Nevertheless. The wealthy will never willingly give up unlimited access to a growing class of desperate bodies to do their vast array of biddings just to be able to survive.

 

[AnxietyProne]

Sure. In many cases. If it keeps the business running, if it comes with added benefits, if it's a cut to other workers to the benefit of your own.

If workers at google can take a 10% pay cut and chop 25% off their living expenses in the process, they're benefiting.

Leave it to a conservative to tell people that getting their salaries cut is a GOOD thing for them.

And no surprise, the capitalists are here to tell us why we should welcome corporations paying us even less than they already do.

I worried when I was younger we'd reach a future looking like a cyberpunk novel. I didn't imagine that by the time I was in my 40's we'd be PAST that level of corporate dystopia.

Efficient and good for everyone

What makes this even more appalling is that Jon Taffer is the same guy when on his TV show says he hates employers that short change their bar staff.