The following is for Indian software companies.
I am on the lower management side of one of the top MNCs in India. I decided to make this post after seeing the change in management's attitude towards people who are working as contractors in my company. It is more out of guilt than anything else, as I brought in one of my close friends into my company through my reference and she joined as a contractor – unfortunately. So read through and take it any way you want.
From start of September, we have been witnessing all the large companies ganging up together and releasing so many news(read bribed) articles about how software developers have started taking on side gigs aka moonlighting. This is obviously a tactic these higher management Boomers have whipped up to force everyone back into shitty office spaces. If it is not already apparent to you, you need to pay attention to what managers are speaking in your meetings. This is the plan to scare everyone into submitting your place of work into 4 walls of office buildings.
So ask yourself this. Software companies obviously have known for decades about some of the employees taking up side gigs occasionally. This is not something that has been brought to light recently. So why are these company's Boomer managers bringing this up right when they started asking employees to work from office 5 days a week? Why are they telling that all remote employees are taking up side gig?
To explain about the title in this post. If and when any of the software companies decide to downsize their workforce, all the people who are working as contractors are the first set of targets who are going to be 'released'. That is the usual industry practise, so what gives? The plan here is that any of the contractors who resist walking back into office are to be made an example. As soon as management finds a suitable replacement for your position, your will be 'released' from project and not more billing for you. Technically you are not fired from the organization. You just don't have a billing in any project and so your contract company will refuse to pay you your monthly salary. If you have dependents whom you need to take care, pull up your socks and get into a company payroll.
To explain about my friend's situation. She had taken a break from her career and wanted to get back into software development. She got the job as contractor – they clearly mentioned that it is permanent 100% Work from Home. She did get assured by her project manager that they will convert her to company payroll – in November 2021. But that has still not happened. She did not get the MNC standard salary when she got her offer. She took it because it gave her the flexibility to take care of her 2 school going kids. She lost her husband to covid. She has been asked to relocate from her home town in Andhra to Chennai, because that is the project location. No revision in salary. No company payroll. She doesn't want to relocate because she will lose the support of her relatives who help with her kids occasionally. How long will she last?
My friend is not the only person who is in a tough situation. There are a lot more people out there. Behind each such person, there is a family who are dependent on their financial income. If company employees do not stand united, a lot people are going to suffer. Literally. Spread the awareness to everyone you know. Your 2 clicks can save a dozen families out there.
Why are Boomer managers across so many companies trying to portray people who prefer remote work as evil?
PS: I tried posting this on /r/developersIndia but that admin did not approve my post. Guess he belongs to management side of corporate company.