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Comment Re:The accusation itself does the damage (Score 1) 777

Once accused -- guilty or not -- your live is forever changed. I will likely cost you your retirement savings to pay to a lawyer to mitigate the damage

In my town we have just one (ONE!) male daycare-parent (work from home taking care of other peoples children in office hours). I once had a conversation with him along these lines:
Me: "I would love to have your job, but I'm just too afraid that someone somewhere will misunderstand something and report me."
Him: "I guess many are scared of that."
Me: "Do you ever worry about something like that?"
Him looking kind of sad: "Every single day!"

- I died a little inside that day.

Comment Don't be a prick. (Score 2) 290

The last time a went from one system administrator job to another, I proposed a very simple plan...

I told my employer that if they would hire the new sysadm with a month overlap, I would do my best to train him in everything. I would even allow the new admin to call me from time to time over the next few months, if he panicked. I asked my new employee if they we're okay with me answering a few phone calls from time to time, they saw no problem at all in that.

It all played out very well. They hired a new guy with a month of overlap as I proposed, but it didn't take longer than a week or two before he was up to speed. My employer suggested than in return for them to be able to call me in the future, I could take the last time off as paid vacation. Great!

They eventually did call ~6 month later - not because they we're in panic, but they had a difficult problem that needed solving and they thought of me. I talked to my new employer, and we we're able to help them out within a few hours. Everyone was happy! :-)

Moral of the story; don't be a prick. If you treat people nice and give them a fair way out, chances are the won't bother you.

Comment Re:EU = make things harder (Score 1) 290

I live in a small country of only 5.2 million, and I can choose from literally dozens of mobile phone operators

No shit, it's almost like it's easier to provide coverage for 5 million than it is for 250 million!

That is SO true. If you have 250 million people, there's no potential customers! Or hey wait a minute. It's exactly the same. Bullshit argument.

Comment Re:Wow! (Score 1) 280

one guy I worked with had to go to china on 5 hours notice

I sure hope he didn't miss his own wedding the next day. But then again, the job comes first. Always :)

But if you didn't come in when needed, you found yourself looking for employment.

How do people manage this? Do they just leave everything including kids behind at moments notice?

I would have a real hard time doing that. I have other obligations besides my primary job.

Of course you can argue that you shouldn't have kids (or any family at all) if you want to have a job, but that wouldn't be a life I could enjoy. I love my job, but they MUST respect that I do other things beside sit by the phone and wait for them to call.

Comment Re:Wow! (Score 1) 280

You can sort of see some point here. If I pay you 150k a year, I expect that you're working for me, and the time I've spent training and preparing you for this job is going to have some return. I don't want you worrying about some side job you're doing when you're in the office.

Yes. I will work for you 9-5. But I might do something else too in my spare time, and that's not any of your business. I have kids to take care of. I do mountain biking - and I maintain an open source project. You do not pay me to not do any of these. You pay me to do something for you - which I do.

And dear boss. I think about a lot of things not work related when I'm at work. I think about the kids, what I will have for lunch, how drunk I was last friday and sometimes I even smalltalk to colleagues! Accept it :)

Comment Re:Wow! (Score 2) 280

Exactly. What company wants to pay an employee to be a rockstar at developing a competing product in their free time?

A sensible one? How about this policy:
We own you 9-5, we own what you create in that time. What you do the other 16 hours of the day is not our business, but make sure you're well rested when you're at work here.

Comment Wow! (Score 5, Insightful) 280

Microsoft has relaxed a strict rule and will let employees moonlight and keep the resulting intellectual property

A company letting their employees do what the want in their own free time. They deserve the Nobel peace price!

Seriously, is it common (in the states) to "own" your employees even when they are not at work?

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