I started managing Indian H1B workers recently. Before I was only an "individual contributor." What I am seeing sickens me. BofA management is complicit in exploiting foreign workers they are bringing to the United States. Here I will briefly explain how it is being done, how it impacts the foreign worker, and why it impacts those American works replaced.
The Indians I work with put in a normal 9 to 5 shift with me every week. The hours might change slightly from day-to-day but in general we are working a 40 hour work week together Monday through Friday. Based on this they enter their 40 hours in and application called fieldglass that I need to approve weekly. They are not allowed to enter more than 40 hours. This is strictly enforced.
Here is where the problem starts. These Indian workers in the US are commonly referred to as "Offshore Coordinators." As it was explained to me they are responsible for coordinating with the "offshore" Indian workers. They provide them with tasks, knowledge transfer, and help with difficult issues that come up on projects. This work normally happens in the evening. If you manage one of these people you will commonly see them online from 10 PM to possibly 1AM in the morning.
Let us be conservative and say that these people are working an additional 10 hours a week on average. Most likely though it is much more than that and I think we all know it. Additionally, if there is a release or maintenance issue that requires non-business hours attention these workers will put in yet more time. There are Friday evenings or Saturdays where they are putting in 8 hours or more easily.
Going back to the fieldglass application where they track hours we see that they are not being paid for this additional time. They are working as hourly contractors and not being compensated for this additional work at all. It is exploitive in nature. It is criminal in truth. It should not be allowed to continue.
I work with these Indians every day. I have grown to respect them as people. They are good people and just like you and me just trying to make their way in the world. They have families and have the education and experience to do a good job. The deserve to be compensated. However, they are being exploited because they think they need to work these additional hours for free in order to work here in the United States. It sickens me and it should sicken you as well. Slavery and indentured servitude ended here in America in 1865.
This impacts the American worker because they will not work for free. I work with the occasional American contractor. They are told that they are only allowed to work a 40 hour week and that is indeed all the time they put in. They would not consider work more hours for free because that is just not done. They are hourly contractors and they expect to be paid for their efforts.
Since Americans cannot be exploited I think the BofA managers lean toward Indian workers they can exploit instead of hiring an American. The Indians is already being paid a lower hourly rate than an American. With these hourss of free work an Indian will put in an American work has little to no chance of competing. It is clearly an unfair advantage. It needs to stop.
(Author Note: I have been tossing and turning all night thinking about writing this and letting others know my thoughts. Please let me know your thoughts. This is really bothering me and I do not know where else I can take this to get this practice stopped. If you have a suggestion please share that as well.)