There Once Was a Programmer from Scotland: A True Story

Airfare from Scotland to Texas: $1,700

Hotel stay during interview: $200

Immigration attorney: $2,000

Second immigration attorney: $2,000

Relocation allowance: $7,500

Recruiter's fee: $14,000

A well-known game developer and publisher spent nearly $28,000 just to hire this one programmer. Given that sort of cash outlay you would think the company would make an effort to keep the employee happy and on board.

Strike One: His second Monday on the job was the Fourth of July. No one told him it was a holiday and that he did not need to be at the office, and no one invited him to the informal company barbecue. While the programmer would not have celebrated the holiday back home, leaving him out of a company event is questionable— and sending him to work alone, inexcusable.

Strike Two: A couple of months later he is told he needs to work on Sunday. Canceling personal plans, he dutifully works alone from dawn to dusk in a completely empty studio because, apparently, there really was not that much urgency in the project. After this incident, he finally spoke up and asked that he not be asked to worked on holidays or weekends unless it was expected of the entire team.

Strike Three: After six months of flawless performance, and having been described by the vice president of production as the best hire the company had ever made, he is asked to repay the majority of his relocation allowance, because he had not actually moved much furniture or other personal property. However, there were no stipulations, guidelines, regulations, or rules covered in his offer letter stating how the relocation money was to be used. Therefore, when the programmer pointed out that the cost to actually move the contents of his two bedroom flat and his car, around $10,000, to the United States would have been significantly more than what he had spent, the company relented and dropped the issue.

Nevertheless, the programmer never forgot the rather financially stressful episode. While he was committed to completing his project, his heart was no longer with the company. He had worked hard, delivered above and beyond expectations on a million-dollar game, and, yet, the employer chose to create a problem that simply should not have existed. This type of behavior on the part of management affected many members of the team. And after seeing so many of the talented individuals he truly enjoyed working with walk out the door, he soon followed suit.

Why would a company spend approximately $28,000 to hire someone and then treat him as a disposable commodity, especially an employee who had exceeded all expectations. It's difficult to explain or understand, but it happens regularly.