Whistleblower In Limbo After Reporting H-1B Visa Fraud At Infosys 276
McGruber writes "The New York Times has the sad story of Jack B. Palmer, an employee of Infosys, the giant Indian outsourcing firm. 17 months ago, Mr. Palmer made a quiet internal complaint that Infosys was committing visa fraud by bringing 'in Indian workers on short-term visitor visas, known as B-1, instead of longer-term temporary visas, known as H-1B, which are more costly and time-consuming to obtain.' Since making his complaint, Mr. Palmer 'has been harassed by superiors and co-workers, sidelined with no work assignment, shut out of the company's computers, denied bonuses and hounded by death threats.'"
Was he really naive enough to expect otherwise? (Score:5, Insightful)
Jack B. Palmer first made a quiet complaint through internal channels at Infosys,
Was he really naive enough to think that these were the actions of some rogue managers and that the company would be thrilled to have him put it all in writing? Did he expect them to send him a Thank You letter, beginning with "Thank you for putting this illegal activity, that we've been quietly doing for years under the table, into writing. We really appreciate that you've opened us up now to criminal liability and that your complaint will cost us a fortune. We're so glad that you did this instead of looking the other way and keeping your fucking mouth shut like everyone else in the company. Here's your bonus!"
Dude, if you're going to be a whistleblower, accept that it means you have to burn that bridge. There is no going back across it and expecting everything to be the same afterwards. Being a whistleblower means making the right moral choice and then paying the price for it. Yeah that sucks--but what's new, huh? Jesus and Superman didn't fight the Romans and Lex Luther without expecting some backlash, you know.
Re:Was he really naive enough to expect otherwise? (Score:5, Insightful)
"Thank you for putting this illegal activity, that we've been quietly doing for years under the table, into writing. We really appreciate that you've opened us up now to criminal liability and that your complaint will cost us a fortune. We're so glad that you did this instead of looking the other way and keeping your fucking mouth shut like everyone else in the company. Here's your bonus!"
He had to write it. Otherwise he would sue, and their lawyers would say, "Heavens to Betsy, who knew? Why didn't you tell us?"
Re:Was he really naive enough to expect otherwise? (Score:5, Informative)
Actually there are two legal reasons to write the obviously futile letter to the company. The first is mitigation of damages: you have to give the wrongdoer the opportunity to stop the wrongdoing (and to stop running up the plaintiff's damages tab). The second is scienter; if they receive this letter and keep on with the wrongdoing even now, after they can be proved to have knowledge of it, this raises the inference that the wrongdoing is intentional (as opposed to merely negligent) and this could be the basis for a claim for punitive damages.
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Re:Was he really naive enough to expect otherwise? (Score:5, Funny)
Jesus fighting the Romans??? ...
The Roman Empire didn't fall on its own.
Re:Was he really naive enough to expect otherwise? (Score:5, Funny)
Neither did the British Empire, or the Incan empire, or the Japanese Empire, or the Russian Empire, or the Galactic empire. Man Jesus is awesome at killing empires!
If you ever build something that might be called an empire, its probably safer to just call it a principality, lest Jesus kill it.
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Jesus is Entropy? Cool!
Re:Was he really naive enough to expect otherwise? (Score:5, Insightful)
The "empire" of the United States is in the process of collapsing from internal corruption, entirely its own fault. How's that "hope and change" working out for you?
If the American "empire" is falling, the causes stretch back long before Obama. I'd say that these problems were endemic when Obama hit office, and he is but a further symptom of them.
I'd like to say Reagan was the start, but I'd be wrong, I'd say these things stretch back to, at least, Truman. Some of the seeds were probably existent since almost back to our founding.
I'm not an Obama fan or apologist. I don't think we'd be any better off with any of the people who were running against him (even Ron Paul), and I don't think we'll be any better off with any of the people running against him now (even Ron Paul). The problems run deeper than just the president, or petty partisanship, or any single body of the government.
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No, but they never taught us it was brought down by zombies!
Re:Was he really naive enough to expect otherwise? (Score:5, Funny)
Apparently the Romans *and* Lex Luthor. Good thing he had Superman on his side. Must've been one helluva team-up.
Re:Was he really naive enough to expect otherwise? (Score:5, Funny)
Best issue of World's Finest ever.
Re:Was he really naive enough to expect otherwise? (Score:5, Funny)
In the not so distant future, Superman's clash with Lex Luthor results in him retreating into a strange chamber. Before Superman's eyes, the world shifts, imagery of the America he knew is replaced with what looks to be ancient Roman stylings. With the aid of dissident Centurion Wayne, he is able to get the time-chamber working again and Superman is propelled to the ancient past. But not the past we know of, an ancient world where Roman rule is enforced by Lex Luthor's cunning and genious. In this strange alien past, Superman finds the only one who can help him right the timeline, Jesus.
Re:Was he really naive enough to expect otherwise? (Score:5, Funny)
Lex Luthor goes back in time to give the Romans Modern Technology, in exchange he will become Emperor. Superman flies back in time to join forces with Jesus to stop them.
As Luther amazes the Romans with modern water purification systems Jesus turns it into wine where the Luther and the Romans get so drunk that allows Superman to catch Luther and destroy the advance technology.
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Re:Was he really naive enough to expect otherwise? (Score:4, Interesting)
A good portion of the world is Monotheistic, the majors religions that are not Monotheistic are not praying to Roman Gods.
Jesus +1 Romans -1
The reason why the Jewish people were really hoping for a Messiah to come was because their land has been taken over by Rome, and pressured to change religions to the Roman one. They didn't care much for it. Jesus came and according to Christianity and some sects of Judaism he was the Messiah however he didn't do it the way they thought so the Jewish people dishearten and basically had him killed.
However most of Jesus teaching had a sharp tongue against the Priests who basically worked for the Romans and was allowed to be corrupted by them.
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A good portion of the world is Monotheistic, the majors religions that are not Monotheistic are not praying to Roman Gods.
Jesus +1 Romans -1
False cause. Jesus died centuries before Christianity was anything more than a persecuted cult. If anything, the Roman emperor Constantine I was more directly involved with saving Christianity from total obscurity.
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A good portion of the world is Monotheistic, the majors religions that are not Monotheistic are not praying to Roman Gods. Jesus +1 Romans -1
False cause. Jesus died centuries before Christianity was anything more than a persecuted cult. If anything, the Roman emperor Constantine I was more directly involved with saving Christianity from total obscurity.
Jesus died decades before Christianity was anything more than a persecuted cult. Ever hear of Nero?
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Jesus fighting the Romans??? ...
No - Jesus fought Lex Luther. Superman fought the Romans.
Re:Was he really naive enough to expect otherwise? (Score:5, Interesting)
Was he really naive enough to think that these were the actions of some rogue managers and that the company would be thrilled to have him put it all in writing? Did he expect them to send him a Thank You letter, beginning with "Thank you for putting this illegal activity, that we've been quietly doing for years under the table, into writing. We really appreciate that you've opened us up now to criminal liability and that your complaint will cost us a fortune. We're so glad that you did this instead of looking the other way and keeping your fucking mouth shut like everyone else in the company. Here's your bonus!"
For one thing, no one's going to say "Yeah I expected they were totally going to shaft me for it because I always knew they were evil.".
Personally I am surprised, there was still time for the company to go "my bad", pay a fine and just walk away. Once people start putting pressure on the whistleblower like they're in the mob or even something really stupid like death threats, the company has essentially made it impossible for themselves to back down. They're virtually guaranteeing that management will be criminally prosecuted and will probably go to jail for what will turn out to be a fairly small amount of money.
Re:Was he really naive enough to expect otherwise? (Score:5, Insightful)
Seriously? You apparently haven't been paying attention to world events for, oh, the last four decades or so. The only executives that ever go to jail are those who lose rich people's money. Tyson got caught, repeatedly, paying truckers $200/head to bring illegals from Mexico to work in their Arkansas chicken processing plants to avoid having to pay workers compensation claims (injured on the job? must be time to call Immigration!) Their penalty? A fine of about half the amount that they saved by abusing the mojados. IIRC, no one was even disciplined internally. Infosys won't even be banned from working US gov't contracts.
Re:Was he really naive enough to expect otherwise? (Score:4, Interesting)
Its actually worse than you think.
Why is John Corzine not in jail? He "lost" $600 million of investor money with no trace, yet there is a record of him transferring $200 million just days before it disappeared. Thats not the suprising part though. His firm had to comply with SOX regulations so money can't be transferred without someone's name being on it. In addition any lost investor money would be the sole responsibility, criminally as well, of the CEO who signed off on the SEC filings. They were apparently not SOX compliant. The BEST part of the story, Corzine was actually in the Senate when SOX was voted on and he voted yes.
So you have someone who agreed with SOX rules, running an investment company not following the SOX rules, breaking the law, signing illegal statements, and he is not in jail. There isn't a more clear cut case of SOX violations possible and it was done by someone who agreed with SOX laws enough to vote on them.
If they won't enforce the law on Corzine they should just drop it. Anyone in the future gets caught by it just brings up his case and the 14th Amendment and they should get off instantly.
Re:Was he really naive enough to expect otherwise? (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Was he really naive enough to expect otherwise? (Score:4, Insightful)
Carrying a gun doesn't make you a nutcase. Given how many get killed, raped, or assaulted, it is only logical to carry a gun or stunner.
As for your claim that he's whining "hw has no real work to do" please provide a link. Otherwise I have to reject your claim as having no basis.
I also have to reject your claim that he deserves death threats -- for what reason? Obeying the law??? I don't benerally listen to people who advocate law-breaking with falsified Visas. That makes you a criminal.
Re:Was he really naive enough to expect otherwise? (Score:4, Insightful)
I also have to reject your claim that he deserves death threats -- for what reason? Obeying the law??? I don't benerally listen to people who advocate law-breaking with falsified Visas. That makes you a criminal.
You could also argue that it was his duty to inform the higher-ups that their lawbreaking was obvious. You have a moral as well as a fiduciary duty to inform management of risks that could impact the business. If you know of a situation that could cost the company millions/billions in fines, civil judgements, and bad PR, and you *don't* report it, you're not doing your job.
(AFIK) Under Sarbanes-Oxley, not reporting illegal activity to management could wind up costing *you* your freedom. A paper trail will cover your ass when the shit inevitably hits the fan.
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His job deprived some of his fellow citizens of work AND a pay-check.
Did you just say that you approve of illegal activity if it results in a paycheck?
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Hey, I can play at that game too. Did you just say that you approve of continuing to outsource jobs illegally because what happens to your fellow citizens is not your problem so long as you're making the bucks?
Indeed, you proved you are a game player. But did you or did you not state that you approve of illegal activity? Don't twist away from the question again please.
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No, I did not. But YOU have made it clear that you think it's okay to outsource jobs to other countries even if it harms your neighbours, by trying a really lame straw-man argument.
For the record? Tell any company selling product here that they have 2 choices - either also invest in jobs here, or pay up to a 100% import duty. "Free" trade isn't free when its' hidden costs are the decimation of whole sectors of the economy, and when companies can off-shore the problems of pollution, etc. to havens where
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This guy was doing illegal crap and said nothing - it was only after they asked him to sign some letters - which would have left a paper trail pointing to him - that he got cold feet.
FTFA:
So he's just as crooked as them. He placed
Re:Was he really naive enough to expect otherwise? (Score:5, Insightful)
So someone taped a death threat to his chair at work, and he's gotten a few crank phone calls. Big. Bloody. Deal. Get a dozen women in a room and you'll hear at least six have gone through a lot worse without ending up pointing guns at unarmed strangers.
Hah. What an argument. Some women have gone through something worse, so a man has no right to feel physically safe. Right.
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So you believe that a note left on his office chair and a couple of crank phone calls, and then sitting at home and being paid $1,800 a week to do NOTHING should turn someone into a paranoid gun-toting pill-popping drunk? Wow. Just .... wow ...
Re:Was he really naive enough to expect otherwise? (Score:4, Interesting)
Speaking of "whistleblowing" there's a law making the rounds through Congress that would make it illegal. If you are a government or corporate employee, you can only blow your whistle to internal "mediators". And if you get fired, you're not allowed to tell anyone why you were fired.
I guess I shouldn't be surprised given Congresses' other recent actions (mandatory inurance purchase, the Protect IP Act, U.S.A. P.A.T.R.I.O.T. A.C.T., NDAA passage).
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Which is why we need strong whistleblower protections to encourage a decent culture where law is still important. You would think they would be right up there in the ladder of government protection with soldiers, police, firefighters, and paramedics.
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Jesus and Superman didn't fight the Romans and Lex Luther without expecting some backlash, you know.
I was wondering what Christopher Reeve was up to these days. Glad to know he's still finding top-notch co-stars for his movies. Is that available through Netflix?
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Damn, I can't believe I missed that issue. I'll bet the story kicked ass. Who drew it?
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Unisys made great keyboards!
Re:Was he really naive enough to expect otherwise? (Score:5, Informative)
Because putting it in writing in an formal internal complaint creates a paper trail that forces the company to either address it or face criminal liability. It's no longer an wink-wink-nudge-nudge, under the table thing. Now the company can no longer say they didn't know about it when the FBI comes calling.
Re:Was he really naive enough to expect otherwise? (Score:4, Informative)
They still only made things worse for themselves by mistreating this dude. Both legally over the visa fraud, and over their retaliatory actions against dudeman.. though I'd think the latter would be a civil matter.
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http://www.whistleblowers.gov/ [whistleblowers.gov]
but then again we know these guys give fuckall about laws.
Re:Gather evidence. (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Gather evidence. (Score:5, Insightful)
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Why?
He can easily get a job at a company that does not have any foreign workers or break other federal laws.
Re:Was he really naive enough to expect otherwise? (Score:5, Insightful)
That pretty much sums it up.
Nice "me too" but no, not entirely. There's a lesson here for other would-be whistleblowers.
The lesson? Don't try to be a nice guy by going through channels, keeping it internal, identifying yourself, etc. Instead, quietly collect all the absolutely damning evidence you can gather, be certain that it names names, and then bring it straight to the authorities. If you can remain anonymous while doing that, like an informant, then so much the better.
If this is how someone who raises a benign warning is going to be treated, then just fucking nail them as hard as you can. They are obviously unworthy of someone who wants to be amiable and play softball, as one would expect of the kind of sociopaths who create this situation in the first place. Instead of letting this frighten you into reluctant silence, just don't put the ball in their court to begin with as that's terrible strategy.
The only court that matters-public opinion (Score:5, Insightful)
Agreed. Take a baseball bat straigt to the head of these companies. Gather and release. Make it public and nuke them from space.
All too often the most evil actions are created by big organisations. They all tend towards being sociopathic.
Re:Was he really naive enough to expect otherwise? (Score:4, Interesting)
...as one would expect of the kind of sociopaths who create this situation in the first place.
Exactly. Unfortunately, I have found that there are a surprising number of nice, functional, competent and reasonably successful people in this world who have not encountered sociopathy directly and have no real clue how it works, and are completely shocked when they finally encounter a sociopath head on. Almost makes me glad I grew up with one in the house ;-)
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That pretty much sums it up.
Still, it blows.
Re:Was he really naive enough to expect otherwise? (Score:5, Informative)
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Jesus and Superman didn't fight the Romans and Lex Luther without expecting some backlash, you know.
Please tell me what issue that was in, because that sounds AWESOME.
No, it all went a bit lame once the Romans worked out to make the nails out of Kryptonite.
He still draws a check from Infosys? (Score:5, Funny)
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Bottom line, importing 'slave labor' from other countries is common practice in the U.S., and at a time of economic crisis, it should be criminal.
I think his complaint revolved around the improper documentation of the imported slave labor, B-1 Vs. H-1b...
At my company we have only H-1b for those working on a Visa, I think the only B-1's we use are for those who are already employees with us in their home country and are on a job rotation assignment. The reason is simple: While a B-1 is cheaper and easier, if you screw up even once, the fine will make up the savings counted against ~12 H-1b's...
I don't know if that made sense... 1 'bad' B-1 is more
Re:He still draws a check from Infosys? (Score:5, Interesting)
It all comes down to whether you have a good work-life balance or you live to work and work to live. A lot of retirees have the same reaction to retirement. Going from having a list of things that you have to get done to not having one can be stressful for some people.
For me, it would be awesome because I have so many tens of thousands of hours of backlog in my personal projects that I may never catch up as it is.... But if you don't have a wide range of outside creative interests, I could see how it could be very uncomfortable. It would be like starting your life over from scratch—a cold reboot of sorts.
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I don't know, it just seems really odd to me, to hold an employer responsible for your life and happiness at the level he's doing. Like, if you're going to hold them responsible for making you a happy, fulfilled person, how do you reconcile any sort of separation of work and personal life? I don't think it would even be morally right to tell a company they're responsible for my happiness in that kind of way and then say, "no, I don't want to spam links to the product on my personal blog" or "no, you cannot
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He absolutely should be using the $1,800 a week they're paying him to prepare for a new career, or to set himself up to work independently, rather than complaining that he can't quit because ... wait for it ... they're pay
Re:He still draws a check from Infosys? (Score:5, Interesting)
Unfortunately that's the case with an awful lot of executive types. The husband of my wife's co-worker came very close to suicide when the dot-com he worked at folded and he suddenly had no reason to live. He made her life miserable until he finally found another job that he could spend 90 hrs/week at. I knew a fellow years ago who barely noticed when he got divorced, since the primary focus in his life was his job. It's a sad, sick lifestyle.
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It says explicitly not that in the article though.
But in December, he said, he received only about $3,000 of a $45,000 bonus he believed he had earned. Since Infosys has assigned him no work at all since last April, he received no bonus for 2011, losing one-third of his income.
If a loss of $42,000 means he lost 1/3 of his income, he's still collecting $84,000 a year.
Guest Worker programs == pro-employer Fraud. (Score:5, Insightful)
"The New York Times has the sad story of Jack B. Palmer, an employee of Infosys, the giant Indian outsourcing firm. 17 months ago, Mr. Palmer made a quiet internal complaint that Infosys was committing visa fraud by bringing 'in Indian workers on short-term visitor visas, known as B-1, instead of longer-term temporary visas, known as H-1B, which are more costly and time-consuming to obtain.'
Hopefully this is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to more of these kinds of things.
Since making his complaint, Mr. Palmer 'has been harassed by superiors and co-workers, sidelined with no work assignment, shut out of the company's computers, denied bonuses and hounded by death threats.'"
Isn't that something called retaliation? People that have a vested interest in moving work offshore really hate it when there is evidence that you're doing it based on fraud - especially fraud that exposes them for being against US citizens.
If Infosys willing to do everything against this guy, he sure must have something damning enough to warrant death threats.
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If Infosys willing to do everything against this guy, he sure must have something damning enough to warrant death threats.
I was going to ask, how are death threats coming into this? It was short-sighted and foolish for the company to act against him through CIVIL means, but criminal means? To me, someone who has no legal or corporate experience, that sounds like some executives saying "Hey, don't just fine the company, send ME to jail too!"
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Comment removed (Score:5, Insightful)
How are they doing it? (Score:5, Interesting)
How are they getting around it? Are these workers completely undocumented? Are they lying at the border? Did they not fill out I-9s? Because if they filled out I-9s, and those were looked at by USCIS, this sort of thing would be picked up pretty goddamn quick.
Given the amount that I've personally spent on legal immigration, this pisses me off a little bit. I'm not exactly surprised, but it seems to be yet another case where breaking the law as an individual would have adverse consequences (e.g. in this case, where one would be banned from the United States between three years and indefinitely, depending on the overstay) while breaking the same law as a corporation is completely overlooked.
Re:How are they doing it? (Score:4, Interesting)
>>>Given the amount that I've personally spent on legal immigration, this pisses me off a little bit.
Most legal immigrants feel exactly the same. Oftentimes the legal immigrants are the strongest supporters of blocking the illegals from coming in.
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No need for a citation when its not a quantified statement really. "Often" can mean anything.
As a legal green card holder, illegals also piss me off. I waited years to be in a position where I could apply and i'm freagin Canadian (there's treaties between the two countries to make it super easy for some people to just move in, but i wanted permanent resident, and besides, I didn't qualify).
If there wasn't all the illegals to push aside, how hard do you think it would be for a senior software engineer marrie
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If there wasn't all the illegals to push aside, how hard do you think it would be for a senior software engineer married to an american citizen to just come in? I doubt i'd have had to even be either of those to do so.
There are no quotas for spouses of American citizens. As a spouse (assuming you're in a heterosexual marriage), you can get an Immediate Relative visa after just the processing time for the visa, and immediately apply for an Adjustment of Status to become a permanent resident ("green-card holder"). While you wait for the Adjustment Of Status to process, you can get an Employment Authorization Document (EAD). From what I've read, the whole process takes between 6 months and a year, and you can work as soon a
Re:How are they doing it? (Score:5, Informative)
Typically the visitor is employed in India and his/her Indian salary will continue to accrue in India. They give an expense account, which will be almost 40% of US salary. The workers usually live quite frugally and save it all and take it home. It is tax free in India because it is not really pay, just left over money in the expense account. Way back in 1980s when they offered such a deal to me, they were offering me 5000 Rs a month in India (twice the pay of a commissioned officer or as they call in India gazetted officer) and an expense account of $1800 a month. US starting salaries those days were around $36000 for an engineering undergrad.
This has been going on for a long time. I know of people who came like on B1. I know people who applied for B-1, the embassy in India smelled a rat and got "banned from applying for USA for two years" stamped on their passports.
Me, I came as F-1, struggled as PIGS (poor indian grad student) got H1-B then green card and then hurried to get my citizenship just in time to vote against Santorum in the senate election. woot!
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B2 is not a tourist visa, but allows a visitor to negotiate contracts etc.(do business, not necessarily work) while in US and being on a foreign payroll. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B-2_visa#Uses_of_a_B1.2FB2_visa [wikipedia.org]
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> Given the amount that I've personally spent on legal immigration, this pisses me off a little bit.
You must have a nice, even temper. I'm also a legal immigrant to the US, and this stuff pisses me off a lot.
I was an academic H1-B for a while, and got a pretty good view of the hoops that my host university had to go through to do it, so I understand about the hassle and expense referred to in the article. The consensus where I did this was that the regulatory burden was mostly due to the corporate histor
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If I'm not mistaken, no one ever looks at them unless they Feds come knocking.
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And I'm saying that for a gigantic foreign company like Infosys with such large amounts of visa-based employees, the feds should come knocking a hell of a lot more.
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My guess is that part of the reason is that they're coming from India, and not places where English is well spoken natively. My understanding is that the less Western your country is, the less likely you are to actually be allowed in... see: massive immigration from North Africa; H1B vista'd Indians and Chinese.
Ethics hotline (Score:2)
Should have reported it anonymously through an ethics hotline the company may have or an anonymous email to people within or may be cc some people outside the company.
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Not only costs (Score:4, Interesting)
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That's bullshit. I originally came to US on B-1 visa, and found an employer that sponsored H-1B. It was in 1993, and I was not on the level of bottom-of-the-barrel people that outsourcing companies love so much, but I was still a recent graduate with a few years of work experience, all of it outside US.
What's up with the title? (Score:5, Interesting)
The title says "H1-B visa fraud". But the fraud did not actually involve H1-B visas at all; it involved brining people in under B-1 ("business") visas - which do not permit working in U.S., but are for attending meetings, conferences and such - and then having them do actual work while in U.S. It is certainly a visa fraud, but its only relation to H1-B is that those people who were working have to be issued H1-B (or L-1, or one of several other types of visas permitting it) to work.
Is that just shoddy writing, or a a cheap attempt to stir up the usual flamewar over H1-Bs "stealing our jobs"?
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I'm not a legal expert, either. However, a while ago I was living and working in Canada, but on a team that was almost entirely located in U.S. (ah, the wonders of telecommuting...). Every now and then, I'd come in person to attend design meetings and such, which necessitated a B-1 visa. When I was briefed by our legal folk on visa issues, they repeatedly stressed the fact that I cannot write a single line of code or produce any other work-related artifacts while in U.S.; and when being interviewed by a CBP
As someone who dealt with Infosys' "deliverables" (Score:2, Funny)
I can pretty confidently say any death threats can be outright ignored, as to threaten death would imply the ability to logically plan the act and then execute it properly.
Why did Palmer do it? (Score:2)
For us who aren't familiar with this visa system, whom did Palmer do a service by calling attention to the situation?
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>whom did Palmer do a service by calling attention to the situation?
Job-seekers with a legal right to work.
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Palmer's Dad Never Gave Him "The Talk" (Score:2)
Obviously child protective services failed him.
And do you think Infosys is the ONLY one? (Score:5, Interesting)
This is too much like a cockroach problem. Slashdotters have been complaining about these kinds of practices for a very long time. People need to befriend this whistle blower so he doesn't commit suicide or some violent crime. I get the feeling he was quite naive and believed he was doing "the right thing in the right way" and now he is paying the price with his physical and mental health. (If it was me, I'd be riding my bicycle and playing XBox games all day collecting a paycheck or finding other ways to enjoy the vacation... but maybe that's a stupid idea too for reasons I haven't yet considered.) I have dealt with some ugly situaitons in the past (though not quite as ugly as this) and I simply had to maintain my course and attitude through it all. I had to remember not to let "other parties" determine who I am and that I will not change who I am in response to anything anyone else does to me. I also had to keep my eyes on the horizon rather than focusing on "here and now."
These companies like Infosys are scum. They want to play in the US market and make US dollars, but they don't want to play by US laws and are willing to commit criminal acts in the name of business. I hope people are imprisoned, deported and businesses get shut down. And before anyone makes claims about killing industries and all that nonsense, I just have to say it'll never happen. There is still a lot of money to be made in the software business even when playing by the rules and operating within the law. The only problem these fat, greedy, lazy Indian companies have is they don't want to SHARE the profits according to the law and according to any sense of fairness and respect.
There should be a bounty system. (Score:3)
There should be a bounty system for whistleblowers to go straight to the government.
Companies who do these things are the enemy, not to be warned before being struck down.
Re:Is anyone surprised they do this? (Score:5, Insightful)
Of course, and that is why the punishments for these things have to make it not profitable. The simple way to do that is ban those people from ever coming back to the USA and fine the company millions. If the execs knew about it toss them in the clink.
Re:Is anyone surprised they do this? (Score:5, Informative)
Banning the exec from coming to the USA might also be a deterrent.
Rounding up all the current visa holder documents and giving them a good once-over would be fun too. But don't stop at Infosys.
Seriously, though, my bank rarely lets a withdrawal go by unnoticed, but our government can't keep track of work visas, much less tourists. Pathetic. No one in government or business as a dog in this fight - they all have reasons to avert their eyes from illegal immigration in all of its forms, work visas and H1whatevers included, and no less grievous than all the other forms.
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Execs hate them, timezone differences, outages of all kinds, in short they seem great but have a ton of drawbacks.
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If you're talking about Manning, only a tiny fraction of what he released could be even remotely considered potential whistleblower material. The vast majority was random classified material that he found, and it's enough to put him in jail for life.
Re:Not news (Score:5, Interesting)
"Classified" material that never should have been classified, but instead was trying to cover-up military blunders. Example: The whereabouts of the journalists who were killed. The military said "We don't know" to the poor family members, but they knew all along it was a friendly fire incident.
Other examples: Covering-up the shootings of kids and torture of POWs. I'm glad Manning and other wikileaks persons are not "just following orders" while military/war crimes are being committed. We the People deserve to know what is actually happening.
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Some things we look at and think that people should know, and we may be right. However, information is often classified not because the information itself could damage national security, but because its release could reveal the identity of valuable intelligence sources to the enemy or could have other consequences not in our interest.
Much of it wasn't even related to military, such as the hundred
Re:Not news (Score:4, Interesting)
Actually, what could have been done was to publish stories about the code being cracked well before it was. DIsinformation is a very effective wartime tool.
From that point on, every failed plan would be attributed to the imaginary "they cracked the code!"
And then when it was finally cracked, even if someone leaked the truth, they wouldn't be believed, because by then it would be "obvious" that the stories were just a plant designed to encourage FUD.
Similar to how the brits published bogus accounts of german attacks (v1, v2) that caused high casualties when they missed their targets, to encourage them to keep missing ...
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During WW2 the Congress had declared a war, so different laws apply (such as keeping secrets crucial to the war). But we are currently in a peacetime state. There's no reason to keep secrets from the people..... a democracy can no more function w/o full disclosure, than a stock market can function if the corporations don't publish financial statements.
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Yes! Bradly Manning is the ONLY government whistle-blower in jail. Nothing to see here comrade, please shuffle along.. and encourage your political representative to vote down these silly, useless laws.. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whistleblower#Legal_protection [wikipedia.org]
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Your source states nobody else in the US who is in jail for government whistleblowing.
But it does reference the fact that Manning could have communicated his concerns to a member of Congress and be covered by federal whistleblower law.
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Perhaps he thought they were above-board and honest in their proceedings.
Either way, we win when there is exposed evidence of fraud.
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It doesn't change the fact that this guy is sitting at home being paid $90,000 a year (yes, I read the article) and whining about how he is going nuts because he doesn't have any real work to do.
He deserves it - over the last 7 years his job put plenty of his fellow citizens in the same position, minus the pay-check. I'd have the same level of sympathy for a crack dealer who complains about someone selling them fake drugs. None.
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Ah, yes, so because American companies abuse immigration policies and (in theory) get away with it, everyone should be so allowed. How many wrongs make a right again? I forget.
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That would seem obvious. I get the feeling they are watching him, though. If he does any of that, they will use it as a reason to fire him.