This is true. I work for a unicorn and we've committed to paying all of our contract staff until the office reopens. This includes making special payments to the caterer, even though we've cancelled regular lunch and dinner meal service, just to pass through to their employees so that they can shelter in place and not have to be at risk of either getting sick or not being employed.

It also includes all reception and building security staff, even though they are employees of the building management, and not employed by us.

I hope more people know that SV startups, and especially unicorns, are really leading by example in their treatment of the low-wage service workers and contractors that work in their offices.

How much do you trust the contracting companies to forward the payments to their workers? Bet they've all been furlough a while ago.

I talk to the janitor that services our offices at a really high end space near the Moscone. No way dude, those poor people are contracted by a bigger firm, they lost all sources of income over a month ago.

  Various tech companies

I don't know of a single SV tech company that employs any janitorial staff directly.

Microsoft, Google, and Twitter at least (and I believe Facebook and others as well) committed to paying their vendor staff for their normally expected hours: https://www.axios.com/tech-giants-promise-to-pay-hourly-work...

As did non tech companies like Nike. Nike is affording it by not giving a cost-of-living increase this year to the full-time employees. I wonder if there is a list somewhere of all the companies that are continuing to pay their vendor staff.