Google scraps minimum wage, benefits rules for suppliers and staffing firms | Hacker News Reader

Google scraps minimum wage, benefits rules for suppliers and staffing firms

fidelity.com

13 pointsMilnerRoute2 comments

Bad link, here's the story:

https://www.fidelity.com/news/article/top-news/202404191346R...

And here's the explanation:

  The announcement comes after the U.S. National Labor Relations Board in January ruled that Google was a so-called "joint employer" of workers provided by staffing firm Cognizant Technology Solutions ( CTSH ) and must bargain with their union. Google is appealing that decision.

So in negotiating for better compensation for employees of its suppliers, Google was somehow taking legal responsibility for them as well. That seems like a perverse incentive.

This is essentially the Copenhagen interpretation of ethics. If you interact with a problem you become responsible for it. Improving someones situation is unethical while doing nothing isn't. This is because improving their situation makes you become responsible for it still not being good enough (according to the pundits who do nothing).

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