America poaches bug busters
Cory Hamasaki (on comp.software.year-2000) predicted huge rate increases more than a year ago, with lots of arguments and examples.
John
_________
David Parsley
BRITAIN's leading millennium-bug-busters are being lured
to America by leading companies with offers of free flights
on Concorde every weekend and lucrative salary packages,
including bonuses and share options.
American firms are spending millions on ensuring they have
the best brains the world can offer to tackle the year 2000
timebomb.
....
...But American companies are reducing their
staff shortages at a far greater rate than their British
counterparts, by raiding them for staff, offering programmers
up to œ5,000 a day, and ensuring they can take Concorde
flights home every weekend to see their families.
Edward Yardeni, Deutsche Morgan Grenfell's New York
economist, said: "America is probably going to be the top
dog with all the money drawing in all the resources and
leaving others to suffer. But even this is bad for the US
because the problem is a global one, not one of individual
countries."
Yardeni, who advises Congress on the bug, pointed to Bank
of America as an example of where cash is being used to
lure top brains. Last week the bank said it was dedicating
$350m (œ218m) to the problem, with almost a third being
used for programmers' ever-increasing salaries.
....
sunday-times.co.uk |
