Pay for web workers: How much should location matter?

Business is all about the bottom line — ironing out inefficiencies, increasing productivity, finding ways to get or make things cheaply that you can sell high — and web work offers new ways to bolster that bottom line.

Pay for web workers: How much should location matter?

Backlink: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/OmMalik/~3/lunihPv8mZA/

Comment on Open Thread: Managing Remote Workers Effectively by Simon Mackie

That's a good point, Avdi, and I think it goes back to the trust issue, too. Management need to understand that remote work is not the same as working in an office, and that being at a desk 9-to-5 is not the same as productivity. Transparent, clear, honest communication goes a long way, but fostering a culture to support that is difficult.

Comment on Open Thread: Managing Remote Workers Effectively by Simon Mackie

Backlink: http://gigaom.com/collaboration/open-thread-managing-remote-workers-effectively/#comment-526946

Organs of UK Nuclear Workers Secretly Harvested; Energy Secretary Apologizes

fernlyn writes with word of a report detailing a decades-long practice of clandestine post-mortem organ removal from the bodies of dozens of workers in the UK's nuclear energy industry; Britain's Energy Secretary Chris Huhne has apologized to the families of those workers whose organs were taken without consent or even acknowledgement. Many of the organs taken were removed without any apparent forensic purpose in mind. Surviving relatives are understandably upset with what they see as cavalier treatment of their loved ones' bodies (even beyond unauthorized organ removal), such as the replacement of bones with lengths of broomstick.

What the DOJ Settlement Means for Tech Workers

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) recently settled with some big Silicon Valley companies regarding an alleged agreement to not poach skilled workers from one another. What does this mean for the tech professional in Silicon Valley and elsewhere? If you're talented or specialized, you may be getting a call from some big name companies.  

Adobe Systems, Apple, Google, Intel Corp., Intuit and Pixar had been accused by the DOJ of creating agreements amongst each other not to have their HR cold-call employees of each other to take away employees. This ultimately is an anticompetitive practice and potentially a violation of antitrust laws, the DOH said. It certainly prevented bidding wars between talented employees. 

In court documents, the DOJ cited an agreement among these companies from 2005 through 2007 not to make unsolicited job offers to computer scientists, engineers and other workers with specialized skills. The key word is "specialized", since Silicon Valley is currently facing a battle for specialized talent in the area.

One of the biggest draw for tech pros in San Jose is Facebook. As the company continues its meteoric rise and has a nearly certain IPO looming soon, it has been aggressively competing for Google employees. TechCrunch reported that about 118 former Googlers heading to Facebook. In one instance, the article continues, a Google employee interested in heading to Facebook was given a counteroffer from Google of a 15 percent raise on his $150,000 mid level developer salary, quadruple the stock benefits and a $500,000 cash bonus to stay for a year. He went with Facebook anyway, perhaps because stock options in Facebook are going to be worth quite a bit more when the company goes IPO.

Now, hiring practices are wide open in Silicon Valley and beyond, as the DOJ made a point to reveal. If you're specialized and can work in mobile technologies (since most companies are going mobile), are a talented engineer, or specialize in any number of network administration jobs (especially security ), chances are you may get a call from Facebook's HR department asking for your resume. There's no surer bet to maintain job security than to make yourself irresistible by specializing. 

Post originale: http://career-resources.dice.com:80/articles/content/entry/what_the_doj_settlement_means