Opinion | US programmer caught outsourcing his own job to China
A star software developer at a company in the US recently shocked his boss by outsourcing work to a China-based tech company for less than a fifth of his six-figure salary.
A star software developer at a company in the US recently shocked his boss and inspired peers by outsourcing work to a China-based tech company for less than one fifth of his six-figure salary.
In return, the 40-year-old engineer, Bob (not his real name), gets to take it easy at work: taking long breaks, chatting on Facebook and shopping on eBay. On top of that, Bob has been continually awarded “the best developer in the building".
Bob’s employer, after discovering unauthorised VPN logins from China last year, had turned to US telecom services provider Verizon for an investigation. The company, whose US location was not disclosed, was particularly nervous because it is billed as a "critical infrastructure company", and a security breach would imply severe consequences.
“Where’s the problem? He improved his personal profit and the quality and efficiency of his work,” said one comment on Verizon’s blog. “This guy is an American hero and deserves a medal.”
While many Verizon commenters hail Bob as a genius who understands the art of delegation, Chinese developers seem disheartened after finding out how much Bob is making.
