So I'm a remote worker. Always have been, even pre-pandemic. I always lived in low cost areas so that I could maximize the value of each dollar I made, because I didn't always make what I make now as a remote executive.
I'm always looking to change jobs to where the money is, right? Because my skills are in high demand and I'm going to make employers compete for me, just like they used to do to me. Seems fair.
Well as the remote work lifestyle becomes increasingly looked at under a microscope for “efficiencies” and “improvements.” Companies are starting to alter how much they offer you based on your fucking zip code. I've seen it in several interviews and in my own company.
This is absolute horseshit. If I choose to live in a low cost area, I am making sacrifices for that decision. There's less to do, shittier healthcare, fewer services, etc. That's a choice I have made for benefits I deem valuable. Such as better vacations, enhanced lifestyle, stronger investments, etc.
You, as an employer, do not get to offer ME LESS THAN YOU WERE WILLING TO PAY FOR SKILLS YOU DONT HAVE. BASED ON MY ZIP CODE.
You have a job that needs doing. You determine the budget for the labor you need to complete that task. Then you PAY WHAT IT IS WORTH. The end.
Fuck any company that does this.
Including my own. That's why they're losing me to another company that is offering me nearly DOUBLE my salary. They're based out of Chicago and willing to pay for the talent.
Never take a position that low balls you on salary. It'll never end if you allow it.