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This exactly. If they want me to live somewhere specific they should pay me more to live there. If my employer isn't requiring me to love somewhere, I should be

This exactly. If they want me to live somewhere specific they should pay me more to live there. If my employer isn't requiring me to love somewhere, I should be compensated for my value and work, not judged for living where and how I choose.

alisonkisk 6y ago
> I should be compensated for my value and work, No, you are compensated for how much someone doing the same work would demand.
- Aeolun 6y ago
  Yes, so if we all demand that that isn’t based on where we live we should be fine right? I don’t understand why pepple keep repeating this. Obviously we are paid what they can get away with. We’re just trying to change what that is. If everyone starts accepting location based pay, we’ll be fucked in the long term. Or, well. It’s strictly better for me if I get paid SF wages anywhere in the world.
  - sokoloff 6y ago
    A far more likely outcome is that this would converge on being paid something like Prague/Barcelona wages anywhere in the world. (Think 50-75% of Kansas City, Des Moines, Pittsburgh wages today.) There is, obviously, incredible incentive to defect. If you're going to demand 100% of SF wages, I can improve my lot by demanding 99%. Then the next SWE can undercut me at only 98%, and so on.
- fxtentacle 6y ago
  You are assuming that the employer had many candidates to choose from. Usually, that is not really the case. Like the original comment said, most programmers probably need to read a book about negotiation so that they can clearly communicate their skills and why they are not easily replaceable. Once you're established as an unique professional with an unique skill mix, you'll be compensated for how much the team to replace you would cost.
  - SkyPuncher 6y ago
    You don't need an exact equivalent. You simply need the idea of an equivalent and an idea of the cost/value of such a candidate. A candidate can't ask for an obviously uncompetitive salary, but they can ask on the high end for what a company expects to pay for an employee.
- hammock 6y ago
  Yep, both sides have a BATNA

alisonkisk 6y ago

> I should be compensated for my value and work, No, you are compensated for how much someone doing the same work would demand.

Aeolun 6y ago
Yes, so if we all demand that that isn’t based on where we live we should be fine right? I don’t understand why pepple keep repeating this. Obviously we are paid what they can get away with. We’re just trying to change what that is. If everyone starts accepting location based pay, we’ll be fucked in the long term. Or, well. It’s strictly better for me if I get paid SF wages anywhere in the world.
- sokoloff 6y ago
  A far more likely outcome is that this would converge on being paid something like Prague/Barcelona wages anywhere in the world. (Think 50-75% of Kansas City, Des Moines, Pittsburgh wages today.) There is, obviously, incredible incentive to defect. If you're going to demand 100% of SF wages, I can improve my lot by demanding 99%. Then the next SWE can undercut me at only 98%, and so on.
fxtentacle 6y ago
You are assuming that the employer had many candidates to choose from. Usually, that is not really the case. Like the original comment said, most programmers probably need to read a book about negotiation so that they can clearly communicate their skills and why they are not easily replaceable. Once you're established as an unique professional with an unique skill mix, you'll be compensated for how much the team to replace you would cost.
- SkyPuncher 6y ago
  You don't need an exact equivalent. You simply need the idea of an equivalent and an idea of the cost/value of such a candidate. A candidate can't ask for an obviously uncompetitive salary, but they can ask on the high end for what a company expects to pay for an employee.
hammock 6y ago
Yep, both sides have a BATNA