Facebook announces that remote WFH employees will have salaries decreased to match local COL

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is industry standard in the tech world. And, within tech very few people argue with it because you make out better in the lower cola areas. So for example, DC is a TIer 1 city. You make the highest amount here. But move to Scottsdale, which is 33% less cola and a Tier 3 city, and you only make 20% less with most companies. So the outrage here is insane to me.

So you're only getting a 10% pay increase over regular locals?

Is that worth transferring to Scottsdale for?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is going to create some very weird incentives to hack the cheapest location that still pays full salary. Like the furthered out SV/DC/NY suburb.

If appraisal companies can accurately pinpoint a house's value in say...Chantilly vs Arlington or Westchester vs Manhattan, what makes you think Facebook - which has access to everyone's data - won't be do the same for further out suburbs down to the mile?

As for Silicon Valley - people are already living at 2 hour commutes away from the Facebook hub just to pay for the privilege of a $600,000 SFH.

They deserve full pay. The remote WFH will probably lose access to facebook office benefits and a pay cut if they are not coming into the office certain days of the week.

Here's what the COL in Dixon, California (a SV suburb with a 2-hour commute) looks like -

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/08/20/pr-rep-commutes-4-hours-every-day-to-avoid-45000-dollar-san-francisco-rent.html

https://www.redfin.com/CA/Dixon/965-Bounds-Dr-95620/home/2433372

https://www.redfin.com/CA/Dixon/2240-Mariposa-Dr-95620/home/2620889

https://www.redfin.com/CA/Dixon/510-W-Cherry-St-95620/home/144147159

https://www.redfin.com/CA/Dixon/241-S-1st-St-95620/home/2437703

I highly doubt the pay calculations will be according to home value. That level of granularity frankly will lead to discrimination lawsuits.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is going to create some very weird incentives to hack the cheapest location that still pays full salary. Like the furthered out SV/DC/NY suburb.

If appraisal companies can accurately pinpoint a house's value in say...Chantilly vs Arlington or Westchester vs Manhattan, what makes you think Facebook - which has access to everyone's data - won't be do the same for further out suburbs down to the mile?

As for Silicon Valley - people are already living at 2 hour commutes away from the Facebook hub just to pay for the privilege of a $600,000 SFH.

They deserve full pay. The remote WFH will probably lose access to facebook office benefits and a pay cut if they are not coming into the office certain days of the week.

Here's what the COL in Dixon, California (a SV suburb with a 2-hour commute) looks like -

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/08/20/pr-rep-commutes-4-hours-every-day-to-avoid-45000-dollar-san-francisco-rent.html

https://www.redfin.com/CA/Dixon/965-Bounds-Dr-95620/home/2433372

https://www.redfin.com/CA/Dixon/2240-Mariposa-Dr-95620/home/2620889

https://www.redfin.com/CA/Dixon/510-W-Cherry-St-95620/home/144147159

https://www.redfin.com/CA/Dixon/241-S-1st-St-95620/home/2437703

I highly doubt the pay calculations will be according to home value. That level of granularity frankly will lead to discrimination lawsuits.

I wasn't saying it was. Although that is factored into COLA adjustments. I just don't think you can 'hack' Facebook COLA's calculator by living in Haymarket and claiming a Washington, D.C. price tag.

They'll know.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is going to create some very weird incentives to hack the cheapest location that still pays full salary. Like the furthered out SV/DC/NY suburb.

If appraisal companies can accurately pinpoint a house's value in say...Chantilly vs Arlington or Westchester vs Manhattan, what makes you think Facebook - which has access to everyone's data - won't be do the same for further out suburbs down to the mile?

As for Silicon Valley - people are already living at 2 hour commutes away from the Facebook hub just to pay for the privilege of a $600,000 SFH.

They deserve full pay. The remote WFH will probably lose access to facebook office benefits and a pay cut if they are not coming into the office certain days of the week.

Here's what the COL in Dixon, California (a SV suburb with a 2-hour commute) looks like -

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/08/20/pr-rep-commutes-4-hours-every-day-to-avoid-45000-dollar-san-francisco-rent.html

https://www.redfin.com/CA/Dixon/965-Bounds-Dr-95620/home/2433372

https://www.redfin.com/CA/Dixon/2240-Mariposa-Dr-95620/home/2620889

https://www.redfin.com/CA/Dixon/510-W-Cherry-St-95620/home/144147159

https://www.redfin.com/CA/Dixon/241-S-1st-St-95620/home/2437703

I highly doubt the pay calculations will be according to home value. That level of granularity frankly will lead to discrimination lawsuits.

I wasn't saying it was. Although that is factored into COLA adjustments. I just don't think you can 'hack' Facebook COLA's calculator by living in Haymarket and claiming a Washington, D.C. price tag.

They'll know.

If they pay me less to live in PG vs MoCo they are going to get sued. And lose. Quickly.

[Anonymous]

LOL it's based on metro area not counties within metro area. You live in this region you make X. You live in Idaho you make % of X. It's not based on counties within same area.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is going to create some very weird incentives to hack the cheapest location that still pays full salary. Like the furthered out SV/DC/NY suburb.

If appraisal companies can accurately pinpoint a house's value in say...Chantilly vs Arlington or Westchester vs Manhattan, what makes you think Facebook - which has access to everyone's data - won't be do the same for further out suburbs down to the mile?

As for Silicon Valley - people are already living at 2 hour commutes away from the Facebook hub just to pay for the privilege of a $600,000 SFH.

They deserve full pay. The remote WFH will probably lose access to facebook office benefits and a pay cut if they are not coming into the office certain days of the week.

Here's what the COL in Dixon, California (a SV suburb with a 2-hour commute) looks like -

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/08/20/pr-rep-commutes-4-hours-every-day-to-avoid-45000-dollar-san-francisco-rent.html

https://www.redfin.com/CA/Dixon/965-Bounds-Dr-95620/home/2433372

https://www.redfin.com/CA/Dixon/2240-Mariposa-Dr-95620/home/2620889

https://www.redfin.com/CA/Dixon/510-W-Cherry-St-95620/home/144147159

https://www.redfin.com/CA/Dixon/241-S-1st-St-95620/home/2437703

I highly doubt the pay calculations will be according to home value. That level of granularity frankly will lead to discrimination lawsuits.

I wasn't saying it was. Although that is factored into COLA adjustments. I just don't think you can 'hack' Facebook COLA's calculator by living in Haymarket and claiming a Washington, D.C. price tag.

They'll know.

If they pay me less to live in PG vs MoCo they are going to get sued. And lose. Quickly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is going to create some very weird incentives to hack the cheapest location that still pays full salary. Like the furthered out SV/DC/NY suburb.

If appraisal companies can accurately pinpoint a house's value in say...Chantilly vs Arlington or Westchester vs Manhattan, what makes you think Facebook - which has access to everyone's data - won't be do the same for further out suburbs down to the mile?

As for Silicon Valley - people are already living at 2 hour commutes away from the Facebook hub just to pay for the privilege of a $600,000 SFH.

They deserve full pay. The remote WFH will probably lose access to facebook office benefits and a pay cut if they are not coming into the office certain days of the week.

Here's what the COL in Dixon, California (a SV suburb with a 2-hour commute) looks like -

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/08/20/pr-rep-commutes-4-hours-every-day-to-avoid-45000-dollar-san-francisco-rent.html

https://www.redfin.com/CA/Dixon/965-Bounds-Dr-95620/home/2433372

https://www.redfin.com/CA/Dixon/2240-Mariposa-Dr-95620/home/2620889

https://www.redfin.com/CA/Dixon/510-W-Cherry-St-95620/home/144147159

https://www.redfin.com/CA/Dixon/241-S-1st-St-95620/home/2437703

I highly doubt the pay calculations will be according to home value. That level of granularity frankly will lead to discrimination lawsuits.

I wasn't saying it was. Although that is factored into COLA adjustments. I just don't think you can 'hack' Facebook COLA's calculator by living in Haymarket and claiming a Washington, D.C. price tag.

They'll know.

If they pay me less to live in PG vs MoCo they are going to get sued. And lose. Quickly.

Let's see - close in counties vs say...living in Shady Side, MD - yeah makes sense that you'd point out very close-in communities.

If you're so afraid, don't work for a tech company and try to ask for full salary while remotely WFH in the middle of nowhere. Problem solved.

[Anonymous]

Would instantly move to a lower cost living area with cheaper housing and less traffic. God, traffic sucks so, so much. Look forward to seeing perma-WFH and mass migration away from the areas that have the worst affordability issues for housing. It makes zero sense to keep trying densify, densify, densify the same few areas of the country when there is no housing. People are sick of needing a million dollars just to buy a place where you can raise a family.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not fair. I left DC when daycare closed (many thanks to my family) but I'm still paying rent on my DC apartment and tuition to my closed DC daycare, so expenses haven't gone down very much.

They have until Jan 1 2021 to decide where they will be. Would you keep paying those expenses even after 9 months? I wouldn't.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is going to create some very weird incentives to hack the cheapest location that still pays full salary. Like the furthered out SV/DC/NY suburb.

If appraisal companies can accurately pinpoint a house's value in say...Chantilly vs Arlington or Westchester vs Manhattan, what makes you think Facebook - which has access to everyone's data - won't be do the same for further out suburbs down to the mile?

As for Silicon Valley - people are already living at 2 hour commutes away from the Facebook hub just to pay for the privilege of a $600,000 SFH.

They deserve full pay. The remote WFH will probably lose access to facebook office benefits and a pay cut if they are not coming into the office certain days of the week.

Here's what the COL in Dixon, California (a SV suburb with a 2-hour commute) looks like -

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/08/20/pr-rep-commutes-4-hours-every-day-to-avoid-45000-dollar-san-francisco-rent.html

https://www.redfin.com/CA/Dixon/965-Bounds-Dr-95620/home/2433372

https://www.redfin.com/CA/Dixon/2240-Mariposa-Dr-95620/home/2620889

https://www.redfin.com/CA/Dixon/510-W-Cherry-St-95620/home/144147159

https://www.redfin.com/CA/Dixon/241-S-1st-St-95620/home/2437703

I highly doubt the pay calculations will be according to home value. That level of granularity frankly will lead to discrimination lawsuits.

I wasn't saying it was. Although that is factored into COLA adjustments. I just don't think you can 'hack' Facebook COLA's calculator by living in Haymarket and claiming a Washington, D.C. price tag.

They'll know.

If they pay me less to live in PG vs MoCo they are going to get sued. And lose. Quickly.

Let's see - close in counties vs say...living in Shady Side, MD - yeah makes sense that you'd point out very close-in communities.

If you're so afraid, don't work for a tech company and try to ask for full salary while remotely WFH in the middle of nowhere. Problem solved.

I’m not afraid. I’m a plaintiffs lawyer. Can’t wait to see how they roll out this policy.

[Anonymous]

My company has done this for years. We have a mix of onsite and remote workers. Remote workers salaries are based on their actual physical location and not the office that their business unit or team is technically assigned to.Being able to go from onsite to remote is a privilege that comes with costs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is going to create some very weird incentives to hack the cheapest location that still pays full salary. Like the furthered out SV/DC/NY suburb.

If appraisal companies can accurately pinpoint a house's value in say...Chantilly vs Arlington or Westchester vs Manhattan, what makes you think Facebook - which has access to everyone's data - won't be do the same for further out suburbs down to the mile?

As for Silicon Valley - people are already living at 2 hour commutes away from the Facebook hub just to pay for the privilege of a $600,000 SFH.

They deserve full pay. The remote WFH will probably lose access to facebook office benefits and a pay cut if they are not coming into the office certain days of the week.

Here's what the COL in Dixon, California (a SV suburb with a 2-hour commute) looks like -

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/08/20/pr-rep-commutes-4-hours-every-day-to-avoid-45000-dollar-san-francisco-rent.html

https://www.redfin.com/CA/Dixon/965-Bounds-Dr-95620/home/2433372

https://www.redfin.com/CA/Dixon/2240-Mariposa-Dr-95620/home/2620889

https://www.redfin.com/CA/Dixon/510-W-Cherry-St-95620/home/144147159

https://www.redfin.com/CA/Dixon/241-S-1st-St-95620/home/2437703

I highly doubt the pay calculations will be according to home value. That level of granularity frankly will lead to discrimination lawsuits.

People here have that commute too. My husband has a 45-90 commute, more if there is an accident.

[Anonymous]

This is a not worth getting up in arms over. I’m a federal employee, and I make more when I live in NYC or San Francisco. DC’s percentage is pretty good, but there has always been some shenanigans because they found some ways to include parts of WV and rural PA into the WMA average.

So if the dollar figure is important to you, head back to Silicon Valley. Living somewhere away from a big city, you get your preferred lifestyle, and less $$. If they want to bring you back to SV, make sure you negotiate the COL.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My company has done this for years. We have a mix of onsite and remote workers. Remote workers salaries are based on their actual physical location and not the office that their business unit or team is technically assigned to.Being able to go from onsite to remote is a privilege that comes with costs.

It doesn't make full sense as both are doing the same job except the company is saving a lot of money not having desks/spaces for staff. My husband has an office space and rarely uses it. Maybe a few times a month. Its a huge waste of money. Better giving that to employees or better equipment to work at home.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sounds perfectly reasonable.

Yup, this. You can’t take your San Jose salary to Columbus Ohio.

Standard business practices

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My company has done this for years. We have a mix of onsite and remote workers. Remote workers salaries are based on their actual physical location and not the office that their business unit or team is technically assigned to.Being able to go from onsite to remote is a privilege that comes with costs.

It doesn't make full sense as both are doing the same job except the company is saving a lot of money not having desks/spaces for staff. My husband has an office space and rarely uses it. Maybe a few times a month. Its a huge waste of money. Better giving that to employees or better equipment to work at home.

You’re cute. You think that corporations are in it for their employees. They are in it for themselves. If you want the big bucks, stay in the high COL area. If you truly the lynchpin of your corporation, you can ask for whatever you want. But 99% of employees are cogs in the wheel and you take it or leave it. If they close down those office buildings, it’s not going to be a bonus for the employee.