Sure, you can hire a remote worker in India for less; go ahead.
But how people are paid as nothing to do on how they spend it to work. If someone has a partner that can take care of the children at home and walk to work, are you going to pay them less than someone who needs daycare, a car, a parking pass?
You pay to get skills executing a task. You put a price on it, adjust it to market value, and done. Who cares if the worker is in Bora-bora sleeping under the stars or in a suburban house in LA commuting in a new leased car.
Exactly. As a software engineer (now for 30 years), I've always considered myself a techno-whore. I sell technical-skills for money, and I'm fine with that. I'm very good at it, my stuff has been in several keynotes where the company wants to show stuff off..
I'm not especially invested in my employer, other than the stock price going up for all those lovely RSU's, but that hasn't stopped me working hard for one company for the last 16 years. The thing is though, that I work to live, not live to work.
I don't get a free lunch, but TANSTAAFL is as true now as it ever was; more important to me is that WFH (for me) is a major benefit, and this past year has shown it is (a) possible, (b) functional, and (c) oh so desirable.
So, for the first time in 16 years I'm seriously considering jumping ship. There's a chance I'll be promoted in October/November (one of those keynote things again) which comes with a healthy up-tick in bonus/salary so I'll probably stick around for that, but thereafter ? Close inspection of the market will ensue.
Sure, you can hire a remote worker in India for less; go ahead.
But how people are paid as nothing to do on how they spend it to work. If someone has a partner that can take care of the children at home and walk to work, are you going to pay them less than someone who needs daycare, a car, a parking pass?
You pay to get skills executing a task. You put a price on it, adjust it to market value, and done. Who cares if the worker is in Bora-bora sleeping under the stars or in a suburban house in LA commuting in a new leased car.