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Take home pay certainly isn't the metric that is improved here, but rather pay per hour. How many hours per year does a Silicon Valley tech worker work? Absolut

Take home pay certainly isn't the metric that is improved here, but rather pay per hour. How many hours per year does a Silicon Valley tech worker work? Absolute pay e.g. in Germany is significantly less, but then the absolute hours worked in a full time job are probably 800 hours less per year than in Silicon Valley: 6 weeks of paid holiday are standard in tech here, plus e.g. 2 weeks paid sick leave because of the flu, plus 4 weeks of paid sick leave with the kids, and a work week is actually 40 hours (or less).

david38 6y ago
I work in the valley. I take about six weeks. I stay home whenever I’m sick. Even if you assume I work 60 hours a week, I still make quite a bit more than I would in Germany. Even including health care. So yes, my per hour rate is better in Silicon Valley.
renewiltord 6y ago
For the better part of a decade I have worked in SF at startups. You know what I say when I'm sick? "Hey, guys, I'm sick. I'm going to sleep it off." No doctor's note, no accou This has never not been the case. Number of unions? 0. Some of my co-workers from my previous employer are currently still on classes paid for by that previous employer. Levels.fyi has median German comp at $95k (net $61k), median SF comp at $236k (net $151k). We'll just use your numbers for the time spent: Berlin: 52 - 6 - 2 - 4 = 40 weeks = 40 * 5 * 8 hours. Net hourly wage = $38/hr SF: We will assume they work full 52 weeks, and they work 10 hours a day, and every day of the week = 52 * 7 * 10 hours. Net hourly wage = $41/hr Okay, so if they never take a day off and they work 10 hours every day they still make more. Now that's being generous to your claim.
- Apocryphon 6y ago
  And you expect this will continue indefinitely? Especially if the economy slips into a recession?
  - renewiltord 6y ago
    I expect nothing except of myself that I am adaptable to uncertain circumstances. Certainly collective bargaining will allow me to extract a greater portion of the value should things go poorly for everyone. I think a union would be a useful tool to ensure that, say, the needs of the majority of participants are met as things fall apart. But that's for the majority, which given the ability will rent-seek over their sole control of employment by harming the minority: new participants, immigrants, those with relatively little power through ethnic/cultural/historical accident. Of course, one could attempt to construct an organization that doesn't have these flaws, but I suspect the greater part of possible participants desire these things I call flaws. So, given institutional oppression vs. the natural oppression of the markets? I choose the natural oppression. We will both swim in the stormy ocean and luck and strength and perseverance will choose one of us. So be it.
- bildung 6y ago
  I think the main point was lost a bit once actual numbers got involved: Everyone gets these benefits in other countries, regardless of type of job. Of course you get paid holidays and good healthcare, but what about all the other people in your town enabling you to have your jobs - healthcare workers, cleaners, workers in the shops and warehouses and so on? The point of unions isn't maximized profits for a few, but a good living for everyone. That reduces income inequality, which sometimes lessens the options for the few at the top of the income pyramid.
  - gowld 6y ago
    That's not going to persuade the few at the top (FAANG employees) to want to switch systems.

david38 6y ago

I work in the valley. I take about six weeks. I stay home whenever I’m sick. Even if you assume I work 60 hours a week, I still make quite a bit more than I would in Germany. Even including health care. So yes, my per hour rate is better in Silicon Valley.

renewiltord 6y ago

For the better part of a decade I have worked in SF at startups. You know what I say when I'm sick? "Hey, guys, I'm sick. I'm going to sleep it off." No doctor's note, no accou This has never not been the case. Number of unions? 0. Some of my co-workers from my previous employer are currently still on classes paid for by that previous employer. Levels.fyi has median German comp at $95k (net $61k), median SF comp at $236k (net $151k). We'll just use your numbers for the time spent: Berlin: 52 - 6 - 2 - 4 = 40 weeks = 40 * 5 * 8 hours. Net hourly wage = $38/hr SF: We will assume they work full 52 weeks, and they work 10 hours a day, and every day of the week = 52 * 7 * 10 hours. Net hourly wage = $41/hr Okay, so if they never take a day off and they work 10 hours every day they still make more. Now that's being generous to your claim.

Apocryphon 6y ago
And you expect this will continue indefinitely? Especially if the economy slips into a recession?
- renewiltord 6y ago
  I expect nothing except of myself that I am adaptable to uncertain circumstances. Certainly collective bargaining will allow me to extract a greater portion of the value should things go poorly for everyone. I think a union would be a useful tool to ensure that, say, the needs of the majority of participants are met as things fall apart. But that's for the majority, which given the ability will rent-seek over their sole control of employment by harming the minority: new participants, immigrants, those with relatively little power through ethnic/cultural/historical accident. Of course, one could attempt to construct an organization that doesn't have these flaws, but I suspect the greater part of possible participants desire these things I call flaws. So, given institutional oppression vs. the natural oppression of the markets? I choose the natural oppression. We will both swim in the stormy ocean and luck and strength and perseverance will choose one of us. So be it.
bildung 6y ago
I think the main point was lost a bit once actual numbers got involved: Everyone gets these benefits in other countries, regardless of type of job. Of course you get paid holidays and good healthcare, but what about all the other people in your town enabling you to have your jobs - healthcare workers, cleaners, workers in the shops and warehouses and so on? The point of unions isn't maximized profits for a few, but a good living for everyone. That reduces income inequality, which sometimes lessens the options for the few at the top of the income pyramid.
- gowld 6y ago
  That's not going to persuade the few at the top (FAANG employees) to want to switch systems.