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HN needs to stop pretending only companies like Infosys and Tata abuse the h1b. Even big tech companies like Amazon and Facebook hire h1b workers so they can c

HN needs to stop pretending only companies like Infosys and Tata abuse the h1b. Even big tech companies like Amazon and Facebook hire h1b workers so they can create sweatshop environments. H1b workers are afraid of being deported if they do not perform well, and a certain percentage of workers are forced to be on the PIP plan every year in the stack ranking. Can even lead to suicides or suicide attempts. Ex: https://www.cnbc.com/2019/10/15/facebook-employee-i-was-fired-for-talking-about-colleagues-suicide.html https://www.cnbc.com/2019/10/15/facebook-employee-i-was-fire... https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-employees-share-thoughts-about-suicide-survivor-2016-12 https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-employees-share-thoug...

diebeforei485 6y ago
Sure- but there is never going to be a perfect policy. Facebook Engineering typically hires people with degrees from great programs, or great prior experience. But most of the "IT" work done by InfoSys and others are things that can practically be done by Americans as well. It would take training, but it wouldn't take a degree from a top university. So - companies like InfoSys and Tata are a good place to start.
- amznthrowaway5 6y ago
  Sure, but the big corp issue should also be addressed. Do you really believe a lot of big corp work couldn’t be done by other Americans? People like Zuck aren’t advocating for more h1bs under current rules out of the goodness of their hearts.
  - yibg 6y ago
    Of course it benefits FB, but I'm not convinced it's about cost. FB is almost constantly hiring, implying there are more open positions than available qualified candidates. That coupled with what seems like on par compensation for H1B employees + the added cost of sponsoring a H1B worker to me means it's about hiring enough qualified candidates rather than saving money. You can argue FB (and other FAANG companies) can just pay more. But 1) the FAANG compensation is already plenty high and 2) the talent pool is finite, and if FB pulls more from the local pool there is just less left for other companies. As it is less well known tech companies were (pre covid anyways) already having a hard time hiring because they can't afford to pay FAANG comp. Theoretically if you get rid of H1B workers and force up top end compensation, then we'll just have less workers available for the lower tier companies.
    - tekknik 6y ago
      All those costs are written off as expenses when the company files taxes. Perhaps we should double the tax instead to cover unemployment for the american that didn’t get a job?
    - amznthrowaway5 6y ago
      If companies like Facebook and Amazon had such a hard time hiring engineers, they wouldn't be cutting 10% of the workforce every year based on mostly political yearly reviews. That's why they are always constantly "hiring". Having visa workers that can be easily overworked is a huge bonus to try and force 80 hour work weeks and a toxic rat race. The average engineer at these companies is not all that competent, the interview process is very noisy. I know many people barely able to write basic stuff like fizzbuzz, lots of them slither their way into middle or upper management.
  - diebeforei485 6y ago
    You have to start somewhere. The best place to start is with jobs that Americans can be more easily trained for.

diebeforei485 6y ago

Sure- but there is never going to be a perfect policy. Facebook Engineering typically hires people with degrees from great programs, or great prior experience. But most of the "IT" work done by InfoSys and others are things that can practically be done by Americans as well. It would take training, but it wouldn't take a degree from a top university. So - companies like InfoSys and Tata are a good place to start.

amznthrowaway5 6y ago
Sure, but the big corp issue should also be addressed. Do you really believe a lot of big corp work couldn’t be done by other Americans? People like Zuck aren’t advocating for more h1bs under current rules out of the goodness of their hearts.
- yibg 6y ago
  Of course it benefits FB, but I'm not convinced it's about cost. FB is almost constantly hiring, implying there are more open positions than available qualified candidates. That coupled with what seems like on par compensation for H1B employees + the added cost of sponsoring a H1B worker to me means it's about hiring enough qualified candidates rather than saving money. You can argue FB (and other FAANG companies) can just pay more. But 1) the FAANG compensation is already plenty high and 2) the talent pool is finite, and if FB pulls more from the local pool there is just less left for other companies. As it is less well known tech companies were (pre covid anyways) already having a hard time hiring because they can't afford to pay FAANG comp. Theoretically if you get rid of H1B workers and force up top end compensation, then we'll just have less workers available for the lower tier companies.
  - tekknik 6y ago
    All those costs are written off as expenses when the company files taxes. Perhaps we should double the tax instead to cover unemployment for the american that didn’t get a job?
  - amznthrowaway5 6y ago
    If companies like Facebook and Amazon had such a hard time hiring engineers, they wouldn't be cutting 10% of the workforce every year based on mostly political yearly reviews. That's why they are always constantly "hiring". Having visa workers that can be easily overworked is a huge bonus to try and force 80 hour work weeks and a toxic rat race. The average engineer at these companies is not all that competent, the interview process is very noisy. I know many people barely able to write basic stuff like fizzbuzz, lots of them slither their way into middle or upper management.
- diebeforei485 6y ago
  You have to start somewhere. The best place to start is with jobs that Americans can be more easily trained for.