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Subject:Re: Silicon Valley Rates From:David Knopf <david -at- KNOPF -dot- COM> Date:Tue, 22 Dec 1998 13:41:13 -0800
Elna Tymes wrote:
| We just got a phone call from a recruiter that HP in Silicon Valley is
| looking for Senior Technical Writers to work as W-2 to agencies at
| $30-35/hour. The agency told us that HP has recently announced a new
| policy whereby ALL contractors must be W-2 to an "approved" agency.
If true, HP will be looking for a long, long, long time. It's been at least
10 years since I last encountered a senior technical writer in the Bay Area
who would work for $30-35 an hour.
| First off, is the agency blowing smoke re: the rate? The going rate for
| senior writers in Silicon Valley is double that and then some.
See note above. While it's not impossible that some deluded mid-level
manager at HP is trying to find people like this, I think it's improbable
that this is HP policy.
| Secondly, can anybody verify what the agency is saying about HP's
| policy? They are also saying that Sun has also done the same thing.
Many, many companies in the Bay Area, HP included, will generally not work
with contractors unless they are W-2 employees of a technical recruiting
firm (or other outside entity). Sun, Apple, Informix, and many other firms
have adopted this policy in response to Section 1706 of the Internal Revenue
code. Note, however, my use of the term "generally." Exceptions are made.
Note also that this restriction is often waived for contractors who are
incorporated.
