Ask HN: Do high quality work environments exist in India for programmers?
Today, I saw the Jobs section of Disqus[1] and was really startled at what they offer. Brand new Apple computers with 30'' monitors, free lunches, games and what not. With offices like this, I would love to go every day and thats not Disqus alone. Companies like Google, Facebook, Majority of startups, Fog Creek offer the same, at least in USA but I am not sure if such offices exist in India. Do they?
[1]: http://disqus.com/jobs/
(
10 comments
| 8 points
| on HN
)
There are no free breakfasts or lunches or anything. If you come over the weekend to work, they don't switch on the AC for cost cutting, even in peak summers when temperature here reaches around 100 F.
Some companies have not given any hike in two years. There's one company I especially hate. They have enforced stupid school like rules. If you don't complete 9 hours in office, and that too on the floor and logged on to machine, then your leave is deducted. If your leaves finish, they cut your pay. They track how much time you have spent away from your machine. This makes employees take measures like using something to keep their mouse moving etc. They enforce wearing business formals every Monday and Tuesday, without reason, just to show the strictness. If you don't wear a tie, you are sent home. There are many more examples.
To be fair, this can be true in the US as well. Some buildings literally charge thousands per day to run AC during non-business days. It'd be a stupid waste of money to pay that much for just a handful of people to work.
Of course, no one should be working in a 100F office. They should be working remotely or not at all in that case.
If you don't mind me asking, what company does this?
Since a lot of these software companies operate as satellite offices for major US firms, their primary goal is to maximize the margin for these firms, so they will do the bare minimum to get by.
I especially love Bollywood movies that portray software jobs and also call center jobs similar to the US but the reality is far from the truth.
However the best advice I'd give is instead of complaining about the lack of such companies why not create them. We do have potential!
Google India has a lot of the perks they have in the USA (another friend used to work there).
Redhat has a pretty nice work environment.