zlacker

They used to be paid in stock... they wanted $15/hr instead.

>>rukitt+(OP)
It’s hard not to blame those workers if they’re living paycheque to paycheque. For a well-paid programmer it’s a different story but it’s not hard to imagine the immediate liquidity bieng more valuable when expenses take a bigger bite of your income.

>>danbol+z4
> For a well-paid programmer it’s a different story but it’s not hard to imagine the immediate liquidity bieng more valuable when expenses take a bigger bite of your income.

One of the best parts about Netflix's compensation program when I worked there was that you could choose your ratio of stock to cash. You could do 100% stock if you wanted to, or 0%.

Despite this freedom, almost no one chose to get any stock at all. Even people making $200K+ decided the cash was better than the stock.

>>jedber+n6
Why is it better to get some stock instead of its cash equivalent which could be used to buy stock?

>>mhb+v7
The stock was purchased at an 80% discount.

To be clear, it was a stock option, and the option price was 20% of the stock price. So it had to go up 20% to break even. But if it went up 40% you doubled your money.

This is basically what happens behind the scenes at other companies that offer you stock compensation in the form of options. It's just all hidden from you.

>>rukitt+(OP)
Wow.. such bubble, much removed from reality. 78% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck. And spoiler alert: it's not because of buying iphones! Yeah, fuck these people for not having proper financial education and a savings account.

>>rukitt+(OP)
I bet they'd prefer $20 or $30.

>>jedber+A7
Especially after the backdating scandal many companies moved to offering RSUs. These were shares just purchased at a favorable price, no option involved.

>>deceba+A8
I didn't make a value judgement. Don't read into malice that isn't there.

>>rukitt+rt
Where's the assumed malice? I didn't say you were malicious, just far removed from reality.

>>jedber+A7
the option price was 20% of the stock price.

20% off the stock price?

>>deceba+ey
Again not making a value judgement. I think we agree that people preferring cash over stock options is understandable and normal. You should probably direct your comments to the OP.

>>deceba+A8
All the paycheck to paycheck people I know are literally taking out loans to buy $2.5k MacBooks which they mistreat and break within a year only to buy another one.. They go through $1k iPhones and Samsung phones every couple of months due to cracked screens and have new car loans of $650 per month which they completely trash.

>>wilma5+kK
Seems you know only a certain type of people. I know or have met quite a few people who almost every month worry how to get food on the table or what to do if their old beat up car breaks down.

>>Ididnt+lO
Food is Max $150-$200 per month and a decent working car can be had for less than $2k, which can easily be afforded on even a McDonald's job, which is mostly just a socializing group. I am friends with several fast food workers and they are too busy having sex with their coworkers and partying to be concerned with any of this.

>>TomVDB+YD
No of.

If the stock was at $100 that month, we paid $20.

>>wilma5+7P
Maybe you should expand your circle of friends.

>>mhb+v7
If they provide it to you on a vesting schedule like other companies do, you gain time in market - i.e. you also gain the stock appreciation until they are vested.

>>Ididnt+cS
I am friends with lots of people of all types including doctors, lawyers, construction workers, programmers, day care providers, you name it, and have met many more. All of them that live paycheck to paycheck are like this, just my observations. Anyone not living paycheck to paycheck is usually much more responsible, "boring" and is capable of planning more than a week in advance, but it's not hard at all. Even when trying to educate these people they do not really take it to heart and will go out and waste $200 in a night of drinking after getting their paycheck.

>>wilma5+lT
I totally agree that if a doctor, lawyer or programmer lives paycheck to paycheck there is a problem with their financial habits. But there are plenty of other people who are very frugal but never can get ahead because their pay is very low or maybe they have medical problems that eat up their disposable income.

>>tomeri+ZS
No vesting. You purchased the options monthly based on the current price, and they were immediately vested and good for 10 years, whether or not you were employed with the company.

>>jedber+IQ
> If the stock was at $100 that month, we paid $20.

and

> So it had to go up 20% to break even. But if it went up 40% you doubled your money.

Are contradictory. If you paid 20% of the stock prices you made money instantly, you made a TON of money actually.

>>ars+P01
The stock is at $100. I purchase the option to buy it in the future at $100. I pay $20 for this option. I'm currently $20 in the hole, because I paid $20 for the option and got nothing.

In the future, when the stock is at $120, I exercise the option and buy the stock for $100 with money borrowed from ETrade, and then sell it for $120. I've spent a total of $20, and gained $20 from the sale after paying back the loan, and am thus even.

In the farther future, when the stock is at $140, I exercise my option and pay $100 for the share with borrowed money. I've paid a total of $20 and I get $40 after paying back the loan. I'm $20 ahead.

Since I paid $20 out of my salary for the option, when it went up 20% I broke even, when it went up 40% I doubled my money.

>>wilma5+kK
You created a new account just to share with us that you congregate with irresponsible people? You are aware that the world spans far wider than the circle of people you know, right? And that they're not representative of the working class of this country, right?

>>deceba+b31
Yes please share your knowledge as well.

>>jedber+521
I get it not, thanks for adding the details (it was really not clear from your earlier posts).

This https://benefits.netflix.com/united-states/financial says the options currently cost 40% of the stock price, which seems very high to me.

>>ars+N91
Yeah they doubled it after I left. But in return they give everyone an automatic 5% on top of their salary.