Don’t get mad, get even

Recently I have had a few discussions with colleagues about their H1 plans and our present company in particular. The consensus seems to be that the management went too far in its greed and sheer filthiness of their approach. I must have made a mistake thinking that a first-line bodyshop (the one actually moving people to the US) can be treated as a real company. Forget long-term horizon, those dudes are simply after the biggest possible slice of your money. I am so disgusted with their constant sleazy lies that I thank God they failed to move me in Oct and I have had time to reconsider my position.

Of the three people who went to the US last year with my present bodyshop one transferred his visa within a few months. He is a peculiar guy but I admit his story inspires me. He was threatened and he stood his ground – a living proof that mathematicians have guts too :). I hear from my colleagues in the Big Apple that they are periodically reminded about that guy and the pitiful fate waiting for him down the road. Taking into account that the company failed to press charges, those menacing hints seem to be almost comically meaningless. Still, I won’t be surprised if these tactics backfire. Professionals are better motivated by carrots, not by whips.

What is truly stunning to me is that (according to colleagues working for a top-10 Wall Street firm) the kind of work assigned to H1Bs there is so boring that they are literally afraid to lose their qualification. Experienced server-side Java developers are made to tweak Unix shell and Perl scripts. I understand the firm is filthy rich and can afford forcing hand-picked people to perform this kind of duties. I used to think better about the role of software engineers in Finance (real-time trading platforms, anybody?).

Another colleague told me a story of his former co-worker. The story goes that he initially went with GCG, left them (obviously without paying ransom), joined an Indian bodyshop, left them in a similar fashion and finally joined MSFT. The colleague even surmised that this is the way of a real pro – a provisional chain of bodyshops until a decent direct employer is found. I am not sure this is a correct conclusion.

Probably I am ingenuous but I do believe in good companies and win-win relations. Surely enough I agree that one must be swift and merciless towards untrustworthy companies but I still hope those are not the only ones dealing with H1B. In a sense, probably the situation with demand side mirrors the one with supply side. Even among Indians there are good engineers, so chances are that there are acceptable companies among bodyshops (curiously enough, they often prefer to call themselves IT consulting companies). Stay tuned in 2007 to hear about my experiments in this area.

Before we close the topic of rotten bodyshops I would like to share two things I heard on the question of contracts. To begin with, some people say that any paper signed abroad merely indicates intentions and will not be taken into consideration by American court (consequently, do not sign anything once in the US). It sounds too good to be true by the way.

The other piece of information is a possible vendetta scenario. The bodyshop files a lawsuit although they know they cannot win. You have to hire a lawyer and fly across the country to the court location which might be on the other coast if you work in CA and your old bodyshop is headquartered in the vicinity of NYC. This will potentially cost you an arm and a leg. The company has more cash than you do so determined management can inflict a lot of financial pain on you. It will definitely cost them as well but it can seriously hurt you. I cannot say I know precedents but this is something to pay attention too.

This time the learnt lesson is somewhat dark. You cannot trust bodyshops. As is said, ‘bodyshop’ is rooted in the word ‘body’, not ‘buddy’. If you believe you are a personality and a qualified engineer prepare for a rough ride. You can win. There were people who tamed rapacious slave owners before you, there will be more after you. Seek advice from seasoned colleagues, trust your professionals skills and follow your dreams. May the force be with you :)