[scottru]

FWIW, this isn't the case at Google (or many other large technology companies). Google dictates the staffing agency markup (which is very limited) and audits for compliance.

This, among many other processes, has significant negative impacts on the quality of the agency that will work with Google on this sort of work - but it does help with cost control.

(Source: I ran one of these agencies, and Google was a past client.)

[ClumsyPilot]

With that level of control by Goofle, the entire thing comes across as a legal charade at best, or fraudulent at worst.