[maximente]

the agency isn't with "your manager" so much as a large fraction of tech salaries were effectively a hedge against you walking down the metaphorical street and finding a different job.

now that that's no longer such a concern, coupled with what i would guess is largely a scarcity mindset brought on by the pandemic, it's not really a surprise that comfortable engineers aren't putting up a huge fight when their salaries are merely 2 standard deviations above the mean of one area or another.

[digi59404]

I’d argue remote work means that folks can “walk down the street and find a job” quicker. Remote work means companies like those in say Chattanooga, TN can now source and hire workers from San Francisco. If they’re willing to pay for them and/or compensate/entice them otherwise.

It also means workers can be free to leave San Francisco without affecting their salaries as much. I live in a small city, that’s not a huge tech hub, and I make equivalent salary to someone in SF or in Seattle. I’ve done so for numerous years.

I’d also argue that much of these salary reductions have other means. Such as stock implications in a Covid world, an attempt to curb a runaway burn rate, or even a veiled attempt at reducing the workforce slowly without severance packages or legal issues.