http://joelmarcey.com/

How many of you can relate to that comment?  I always end up talking to people outside my group.  I am in the cubes with the pubes, while they are in their big bad offices.  They could be doing anything in there as far as I would know.  hehe.  I could go weeks without seeing some of them. 

Anyway, that guy really did quit his job after all.

That blog is weird, how come I can't highlight any of the text on that page?

The thing I don't like about the hall that leads to offices that I never walk down is that I know they could talk amongst themselves, and easily backstab a paeon like me at will.  Personally, I'd be blown away if that didn't happen.

Do you ever not see someone and then say hi and they ignore you, and then wonder if they are conniving against you anytime your name comes up? 

Programming is such a loner job that it gets weird that you have to depend on others so much, who are also loners at work, or only talk about, "okay I'll fix that with some code now", or "that's because of the blah code with this data, I fixed it now." or "you fix this data and I'll fix the blah code" and probably only they know WTF they are talking about.

The two programmers, guy and girl, next to me no longer talk in complete sentences.  I imagine them pointing to places on some chart with heavy stones, and say "uuaggh" "auuuaa?"  "No, guggg."  "Yeah, ahhhggg."

I think that's a Lorbing record.

Heh-heh.

A record, indeed.

I read that link.  His employer is upset because he is leavig after only a year and they paid for his relocation.  I guess they should be upset.

Yes, employment is "at will", but we have contracts with each other in a sense.  "Hey look I won't fire you for stupid reasons and you don't leave for stupid reasons."

I think that is a reasonable expectation, and if I were his employer, I would be pissed, too.  I didn't read what the extenuating circumstances are other than "start working as a contractor" so...

"I won't fire you for stupid reasons unless it becomes convenient at the director level" is what you mean.

Fuck 'em.  There's no such thing as company loyalty anymore because there's no such thing as loyalty by a company to employees anymore.  Yes there are exceptions.

Yeah, I couldn't grok his anger and repressive attitude at the exit interview.  I was thinking the guy was a mind-reader for figuring out he was confused.

I mean, ever normal person seems to tell their employer what their next move is, and maybe you get some extra insights from the person giving the exit interview (like maybe why they don't like contractors, or do, or whatever).

That sounds like a weird situation to me, they paid for re-location if he stayed 1 yr.  Is he H1-B?

I kind of always see the possiblity of leaving as a bargaining chip to get something you want (if you were bold enough) so that you either get something and stay or get denied and have a reason to sulk off into the sunset.

""I won't fire you for stupid reasons unless it becomes convenient at the director level" is what you mean.

Fuck 'em.  There's no such thing as company loyalty anymore because there's no such thing as loyalty by a company to employees anymore.  Yes there are exceptions."

I guess that's why I like working for tiny companies.  My boss has to look me in the eye, and he is the one making the bottom line decision.  He's not some director in an office in another state looking at a spreadsheet...I fully realize this is a delusion on my part but it helps me cope and on some levels I believe my boss and I have that kind of understanding where we both know what are stupid reasons and what are good reasons and we have a sort of non-verbal agreement.

Paying for relocation as long as you stay for at least a year is a pretty normal situation. Nothing unusual about that. If your employer is paying a bunch of moving expenses you owe them some kind of commitment in return.

I think a job terminating after only a year is always going to be a bit awkward. Both you and the company have made an investment in a mutually beneficial relationship and now it's coming to an end when it's barely started. Either side is likely to ask if they made a mistake at the beginning.

"At will" employment is intended to allow people to act freely without legal restraint when circumstances justify it. It isn't meant to take away any sense of commitment or good faith.

The bottom-line is that you are a capable worker, Sharkfish.  Sure, maybe a little eclectic fits in where it's tiny and you have more say, but your skills are valuable.  Maybe a bigger co. would drive you nuts having less say in things.

I think a person has to look at the skills quotient.  Do they want your skills or don't they?  And that's basically what got me by on my first review so far.

Right, at will is at will.  Let's not get too crazy.  If dating were like a relationship and they had dumped the guy before he dumped them, they would feel pretty good about it. 

Has no one here had the pleasure of dumped some one and then be taken back so that they can have the pleasure of dumping you?  If they thought he was all that and a bag of chips, they would have made some counter-offer regardless or at least asked what he thinks he's not getting.