Microsoft Refuses Senator's Request to Cut Foreign Workers First

I agree Microsoft has a right to cut who they want as long as the foreign workers are here legally. They aren't taking government money.

On a sidenote, if things get much worse and we see a lot more jobs lost, you will see stories like this and I believe it will get pretty ugly. you're going to see people upset about foreigners keeping jobs, women, minorities, etc., lets just hope it doesn't get to ugly.

 

I hate this kind of garbage. This protectionist crap flows through both parties. If you want Microsoft to be successful in the long-run, they should be laying off the least-needed workers, not the foreign ones just because they are foreign. I'm glad Microsoft took a stand on this.

 

Exactly. It's ridiculous to suggest they lay off workers not on importance to the company but on nationality.

 

Dumb move by Grassley, I thought he was smarter than that.

 

it's not like all that high-priced foreign talent pays us income taxes...

oh wait...

Good for MSFT (never thought i'd say that). we need more, not fewer H-1B visas.

 

Why do we need the H1B program under current economical condition? Because there are not enough laid off IT workers in the US right?

 

They could just hire more people in their Indian offices.

think the H1B program is bad. They force foreign worker to stay at one company because if they switch then they can't get green card.

 

Kudos to Microsoft. Grassley is a Republican? Is he losing confidence in free markets?

 

Yes, but that one company is sponsoring them and without that company they would not be here.

 

What is the reason for H1B? There is not enough trained US worker in certain fields right? I am sure that is the case in the next couple years. Ya right.

 

While doing what Grassley and others suggest doesn't make economic sense if the retained foreign workers are producing more than the American workers being laid off, and while it may also be, arguably, immoral to layoff foreign workers to save American jobs, I can still see both sides of the argument. In many cases, the company line, back when the foreign workers were hired, was that there weren't enough trained Americans to fill many of these positions. That was a justification used for bringing these people over. Today, that may not be the case. Looking at it from the other side, is it immoral not to replace those foreign workers with Amercians of equal training and ability, but recently laid off? I don't think that notion is all that easy to dismiss.

 

I think Grassley's request is self-defeating. Microsoft runs an information business and wants the best people in the world. If they can't work here in the US, Microsoft will employ them in some other country.

 

From my experience in the IT field, using H1B's have absolutely nothing to do with getting the "best" people and everything to do with getting cheap labor. Most of these workers are taken advantage of because they have to work or they get kicked out. They get their visa held over their head.

That being said, the majority of the time, the companies get exactly what they pay for.

 

The choice is the foreigners work here in the US or job get outsourced to another country. I rather have them here spending their money here.

 

So just say we want the cheapest labor and that is the reason for H1B. Stop treating people like idiots and say it is because a shortage of skilled workers.

 

I think they worded it poorly. [We don't want to fire the foreign employees because we need to keep the best minds] implies that they are doing it because Americans aren't smart enough, which is absurd.

I do think they should be able to choose who they keep on, but saying that, and not admitting at least part of the reason is due to employee cost and control, is spin.

It's just reality in today's global economy and free/open markets, USA standard of living was way up compared to most, so once those flood gates opened, there has to be a reckoning of some sort. This is part of it. Sucks, but maybe there will be a happy medium, and we will regain an edge through competition. Until it balances out though, expect that companies who are allowed, without protectionist legislation, will take advantage of cheaper labor that is easier to maintain and control.

That said, if there are other "advantages" to hiring foreign workers of equal qualification, or disadvantages to hiring American workers, that playing field should be leveled, I would think.

Regardless, M$ should be more upfront about it, or at least not come of as insulting to Americans. Some here, so I'm told, actually like their products.

 

Because other workers from other countries are smarter and better than ours - that's what happens when you have a crappy education system.

I can't believe I agree with Basso. But absolutely - I think more than ever - business needs to put the priority on finding the best talent to compete - not the most American.

 

It isn't all on the education system. American students have to want to go into computer science or electrical engineering. These majors require a ton of high level math and science classes, which most Americans don't like. Add that to the fact that most computer engineers have the stereotype of being geeks who sit in cubicles all day(probably true), its no surprise being an engineer isn't appealing to a lot of Americans.