4 ms·

Oregon at least makes it 50% IIRC. Anything less than 100% seems useless though. Usually when taking a new job in the same industry you expect a pay bump, so ev

Oregon at least makes it 50% IIRC. Anything less than 100% seems useless though. Usually when taking a new job in the same industry you expect a pay bump, so even a 100% rate is likely leaving money on the table.

deleted 1y ago
[deleted]
Sharlin 1y ago
Well, yes, but you don't have to work.
- ghaff 1y ago
  For a lot of people, taking 50% of base salary (absent bonus/RSU/etc.) isn't very practical. Even if there's some alternative like Starbucks.
- hippari2 1y ago
  More like you are not allowed to work. Loss of work experience, loss network, not even accounting for inflation.
  - bigiain 1y ago
    I would welcome an opportunity to walk away from the entire tech industry with a guaranteed-for-life income, allowing me to pursue dreams without them needing to be financially viable. Setting up as a high end timber boat builder without ever needing to turn a profit while still having the same income I do now is something I'd jump at immediately.
    - jaggederest 1y ago
      Plus, nobody says you can't work in any other field you like, just not whatever you used to do. Net present value of 50% of salary for the next 30 years is something like a million dollars for most HN commenters, I'd guess.
      - bruce511 1y ago
        Except it's not "for life". It's until they feel free to lift the non-compete. My guess is that most information you take from a company is irrelevant in a couple years. Maybe 5 tops? Plus it'd almost certainly end with zero notice. You'd get a email saying "you're free to go". Suddenly. After say 26 months. So it's not like a "pension for life" - just a gap in your employment history.
        jaggederest 1y ago
        Oh no, ah jeez, slightly more than one year of income for zero effort, darn. Any employment gap can be easily explained by saying "I was under a non-compete and being paid garden leave while working on personal projects to keep my skills fresh". It's very common in e.g. the finance world, I believe.
        ghaff 1y ago
        I suspect most people with that sentiment don't have a mortgage/kids/etc. I have known youngish people who got a very nice severance package back in the day and essentially took a 6 month sabbatical. I don't really see a problem for getting future jobs so much. But it is a loss of significant income (assuming you were well-compensated even if you're still being paid something) and may not have great alternatives for income though, if you're in the position to do so, you can of course travel or whatever.
        bruce511 1y ago
        I've no argument with the severance cash, I'm saying that you can't just revert to a hobby because you have an "income for life." The uncertainty means you're still out on the job market looking for a real job.
        ghaff 1y ago
        There's perhaps significantly lower total compensation and potential uncertainty. A lot of people just aren't in the position to travel the world (or whatever) for a year. Or even work on an open source project that may or may not even be within the bounds of the non-compete depending in the company.
    - davkan 1y ago
      While I agree with the sentiment, you could lose that income at any time should they close to drop to non compete.
  - sagarm 1y ago
    And loss of negotiating power -- the company knows your BATNA is garden leave, and probably not a better offer.
- kragen 1y ago
  Doesn't mean you don't have to make the mortgage payment.
reverendsteveii 1y ago
it's not necessarily about fully compensating you. It's about making the non-competes actually cost the company something so they can't use them as free leverage to get you to accept shitty conditions today because quitting means not being able to work in your field at all for x years even if someone wants you around.

deleted 1y ago

[deleted]

Sharlin 1y ago

Well, yes, but you don't have to work.

ghaff 1y ago
For a lot of people, taking 50% of base salary (absent bonus/RSU/etc.) isn't very practical. Even if there's some alternative like Starbucks.
hippari2 1y ago
More like you are not allowed to work. Loss of work experience, loss network, not even accounting for inflation.
- bigiain 1y ago
  I would welcome an opportunity to walk away from the entire tech industry with a guaranteed-for-life income, allowing me to pursue dreams without them needing to be financially viable. Setting up as a high end timber boat builder without ever needing to turn a profit while still having the same income I do now is something I'd jump at immediately.
  - jaggederest 1y ago
    Plus, nobody says you can't work in any other field you like, just not whatever you used to do. Net present value of 50% of salary for the next 30 years is something like a million dollars for most HN commenters, I'd guess.
    - bruce511 1y ago
      Except it's not "for life". It's until they feel free to lift the non-compete. My guess is that most information you take from a company is irrelevant in a couple years. Maybe 5 tops? Plus it'd almost certainly end with zero notice. You'd get a email saying "you're free to go". Suddenly. After say 26 months. So it's not like a "pension for life" - just a gap in your employment history.
      - jaggederest 1y ago
        Oh no, ah jeez, slightly more than one year of income for zero effort, darn. Any employment gap can be easily explained by saying "I was under a non-compete and being paid garden leave while working on personal projects to keep my skills fresh". It's very common in e.g. the finance world, I believe.
        ghaff 1y ago
        I suspect most people with that sentiment don't have a mortgage/kids/etc. I have known youngish people who got a very nice severance package back in the day and essentially took a 6 month sabbatical. I don't really see a problem for getting future jobs so much. But it is a loss of significant income (assuming you were well-compensated even if you're still being paid something) and may not have great alternatives for income though, if you're in the position to do so, you can of course travel or whatever.
        bruce511 1y ago
        I've no argument with the severance cash, I'm saying that you can't just revert to a hobby because you have an "income for life." The uncertainty means you're still out on the job market looking for a real job.
        ghaff 1y ago
        There's perhaps significantly lower total compensation and potential uncertainty. A lot of people just aren't in the position to travel the world (or whatever) for a year. Or even work on an open source project that may or may not even be within the bounds of the non-compete depending in the company.
  - davkan 1y ago
    While I agree with the sentiment, you could lose that income at any time should they close to drop to non compete.
- sagarm 1y ago
  And loss of negotiating power -- the company knows your BATNA is garden leave, and probably not a better offer.
kragen 1y ago
Doesn't mean you don't have to make the mortgage payment.

reverendsteveii 1y ago

it's not necessarily about fully compensating you. It's about making the non-competes actually cost the company something so they can't use them as free leverage to get you to accept shitty conditions today because quitting means not being able to work in your field at all for x years even if someone wants you around.