In a case of adding insult to injury, tech workers are being recruited to work for the very companies that laid them off, but this time as contractors.
The tech industry has laid off hundreds of thousands of its workers in a bid to improve productivity and lower costs. As workers have been searching for new jobs, some are being offered positions at their former companies, but as contractors without the perks they enjoyed as employees.
According to The Seattle Times, the contract positions come with less pay, no benefits, no stock options, and a clear end date.
“We all just got the shock of our life, the last thing I need is for you to continue to ask me to go to a company that just let me go,” said one former Microsoft employee who was laid off in March.
Not all job seekers are willing to go back under less favorable terms.
“I loved what I did. I loved the company,” one worker said about being recruited for Microsoft. “I don’t have anything negative to say. If something internally came up, I would have been open to it — but I do have a sense of pride. There’s no way I want to go back … making half the amount.”
“Tell Amazon if they want an engineer, they can just not fire me later this month,” said a former Amazonian.
Needless to say, tech companies are not earning back any goodwill with these actions.