Microsoft exec says OpenAI employees can join with same compensation::Microsoft CTO Kevin Scott offered to match the compensation of OpenAI employees considering a departure from the company.

  • StarManta@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    Hiring someone that OpenAI chose to fire is pretty clearly fair play, but how does this declaration not directly run afoul of anti-poaching laws?

    (Disclaimer: not a lawyer)

    • cbarrick@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      Anti-poaching laws?

      IIUC companies in the US can poach all they want. Non-poach agreements are not enforceable, I think.

      It would be pretty anticompetitive to allow non-poach agreements, considering that the US uses at-will employment. If a competitor wants to make an offer to your employees, your employees should be free to accept that offer. At-will employment is a two-way street.

    • 5BC2E7@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      It’s the reverse. Companies get in trouble for agreeing to not poach employees from each other.

    • bhmnscmm@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      What anti-poaching laws? At most this would violate non-compete clauses that may exist, but those generally aren’t enforceable anyways.

      • BottleOfAlkahest@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        Most non-poaching clauses in non-competes specify that the person signing it can’t recruit employees from their old work, usually for X number of years. Microsoft almost certainly didn’t sign any non-competes and unless Sam Altman is the one making this offer there aren’t any non-compete violations happening.

        • eric@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          Non-competes and poaching clauses aren’t based on any laws, and it turns out they aren’t even legally binding in many cases.

          • BottleOfAlkahest@lemmy.world
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            1 year ago

            I’m not arguing they are, but that they aren’t relevant at all in this case. They aren’t even designed to address this situation (binding or otherwise).

            • eric@lemmy.world
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              1 year ago

              Seemed like you were answering their question, but I reread and get what you were trying to say now.

    • grayman@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      You can’t go to the business and recruit. Public statements, LinkedIn messages, etc are totally fine.