Microsoft's Treatment of Google Defectors

Miguel de Icaza (Note, this Miguel is not the Ximian developer, just someone whose small life is fulfilled by trolling under someone else's name) writes "Here is a story revealing just how threatened Microsoft is by Google. While senior partners can expect the full chair experience, some lowly staffers who are putting in their notice are being escorted off campus immediately. Why? Because they've put in their notice to join Google. In Microsoft's eyes, Google is Enemy No. 1. Anyone leaving Redmond for the search leader is a threat. Not because they'll scurry around collecting company secrets — as if Google's interested in Microsoft's '90s-era technologies. Departing employees, however, might tell other 'Softies how much better Google is. If an employee is leaving for Amazon.com or another second-tier employer which doesn't make Microsoft so paranoid, they'll probably serve out the traditional two weeks of unproductive wrapping up. So if you're planning on leaving Microsoft for Google, pack up your belongings and say goodbye to friends ahead of time. There'll be no cake and two weeks of paid slacking for you."

NOT Miguel de Icaza

[balster neb]

Just to clarify, the submitter is not the real Miguel de Icaza. The real one uses the Slashdot ID miguel [slashdot.org].

Any company would do this

[jorghis]

Why is this a problem? Its just MS playing it safe, if I told my employer that I was leaving for our biggest competitor I think I wouldnt be allowed to sit around for the next two weeks out of concern that I could be gathering information. While 80% probably wouldnt there would surely be some who would. I can think of a half a dozen times off the top of my head when non-MS engineers I knew were "shown the door" when they informed their employer they were leaving for a competitor.

And since when is Amazon a second tier company? I've been there and know people that work there, it seems like a great place and from what I hear the compensation is very competitive with MS, Google, and whatever other company you think is a trendy "first tier company".

Re:what's the big deal?

[Tom]

No, it isn't.

Everyone who intends to take anything with them is probably smart enough to make copies before telling you they're leaving. Likewise, any damage they might do can already be set up.

The only situation where being escorted off is when the company fires someone, or when he resigns surprisingly (including to himself) in a fit of anger. In any other situation, anything you're trying to protect yourself from has either already happened, or won't happen even if you just let him go peacefully.

Re:what's the big deal?

[lukas84]

Here in Switzerland, 2 months notice MINIMUM is required by law. Most companies write up 3 months for most regular jobs, and 6+ months for senior/executive positions.

And most of the time, you'll spend this time wrapping up your work. It's HIGHLY unusual to be suspended immediately - usually only if you stole company goods or something like that.

When i've switched jobs, i always spent the time productively, completing documentation, instructing my follow-up, etc. pp.

American working culture always looks very strange to me :)

Re:Microsoft is simply bland..

[Valen0]

As requested:

The Initiating Story: http://www.joelonsoftware.com/items/2006/11/21.html [joelonsoftware.com]

The Inside Story: http://moishelettvin.blogspot.com/2006/11/windows-shutdown-crapfest.html [blogspot.com]

Slashdot Coverage: http://developers.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=06/11/27/1728231 [slashdot.org]

Comment removed

[account_deleted]

Comment removed based on user account deletion

Re:what's the big deal?

[vidarh]

Of course comparing it with involuntary servitude is ridiculous. It's a contract. As long as there is mutual consideration, calling it involuntary makes no more sense than calling any other contract term involuntary. Certainly noone can force you to serve out the time, but you can expect consequences if you don't, just as with violating any other contract term.

Note that in all countries I'm aware of that have longer notice periods a) it can be waived by mutual agreement, b) you can usually remove it from contracts as long as you provide sufficient consideration - typically that consideration must be greater to the employee as it's assumed the employee negotiates from a position of weakness unless it's a very high level position, c) it's mutual - that is, you have legal protection to ensure you at the very least get paid for the full notice period even if you get fired, and often to guarantee you actually is guaranteed the right to go to work during that period (though it's getting more common for workplaces to negotiate for some types of employees to leave immediately while still paying them).

In Norway the typical notice period is 3 months, and an employment contract that says elsewhere needs a LOT of care to be valid unless it's part time/fixed term contract or seasonal work. Basically, the employer would need to offer to compensate you for it, and just offering to pay for it regardless likely wouldn't be enough, as you have right to work during the notice period, not just to get paid.

And while certainly some of the motivation is gone while serving out your notice period, I've personally never seen someone be unprofessional about it - people do stick around and do their jobs properly, because it's what they were contracted to do. As the other poster I find US working practices completely bizarre.

Giving Notice In WA

[Eezy Bordone]

If you give notice in Washington, you get paid for the length of notice whether you're at the office counting the minutes away or escorted out the building at that very moment. So give a month's notice 'Softies!

2 weeks notice

[VBJonC]

Guys ( and Gals) If you EVER quit a job and they don't accept your 2 weeks notice, you are still entitled to get paid for that 2 weeks, don't ever forget this. You are politely telling them that you will be quitting in 2 weeks, not that you are quitting today. If they choose not to accept your resignation in 2 weeks time, thats their problem, not yours. Every job I have ever resigned from where this occurred has tried to not pay me, but one threat of calling the dept of labor and they have come up with my paycheck. I am in NY, laws may differ in your state.

I don't think so...

[Frosty Piss]

If I was at a company where the standard practice was to walk someone out the door as soon as they gave notice, I would give them 6 months notice. After all, maybe they would walk me out immediately and pay me for the next 6 months.

I'm sorry, what planet do you live on? I assume you're in the US, right? Your employer would be exercising their right to fire you for no reason at all as an "at will" employee. At most you might qualify for unemployment. But 6 months free money? I don't think so, unless you have some special employment contract that covers this area, and that's not likely.

Re:what's the big deal?

[Cairnarvon]

Switzerland has a lower unemployment rate than the US. 3.3% compared to 4.7%.

Re:Um... so?

[cnettel]

I think quite a few have done interviews or even declined interview offers. I know that I have, as I want to complete my PhD. That didn't stop them (Google) from flying me to Dublin and Zürich. A friend took up the offer of an internship, for a start.

Re:I don't think so...

[Sparr0]

Most places around here we have unemployment insurance. They walk me out 6 months ahead of time, I spend 6 months "searching" for the job I already have lined up to start 6 months from now, and their unemployment insurance costs go up an amount similar to that I am getting paid by the state (unless they do this on a regular basis, in which case they are already paying an appropriate amount to cover my 6 month vacation).

Re:Why give notice, then?Resign effective immediat

[suppo]

"They said since I quit, i was no longer an employee and not entitled to the several thousand dollars in unused vacation that they owed me."

You might get a second opinion, depending on how your vacation time is defined in your (former) employment contract. Earned compensation is an entitlement that can't be hand waved off, even by a slick lawyer.

Re:But *is* Google really that good?

[Anonymous Coward]

This doesn't match my experience at Google as a software engineer. I was pretty much told what to work on, as everybody else around me. And I am not some 20 year old Noogler (stupid Google slang!). And changing projects wasn't something feasible at all. That idea of being able to work on anything you want is just an illusion. I guess it works very well as a PR artifact, but that's about it. In general, I don't think Google is different to any other large company except for the unacceptable internal administrative mess.