Below are all the posts — topics as well as replies — that mention the hashtag #cost.
Mention #cost in your post to continue the discussion!
How great was that message from HR this week.
Are you RTO ready because expenses are going to change in 2026! So heres a free service to meet with a financial advisor (and tell him you're getting a pay cut bc your employer is forcing you back to the office and you need to figure out how to pay for the extra 600/month of commuting costs, plus meals and new wardrobe)
And they write it like we should be as excited as they are! lol
Hearing chatter that Dell’s new cost-cutting strategy is quietly targeting s-xagenarians.
For the board monitors - A s-xagenarian is just someone in their 60s. That’s the whole mystery.
What am I not seeing?
It feels like money disappears every quarter thanks to sloppy management decisions. A lot of the newer leaders just don’t have the experience to handle these situations, and it shows. Staff end up scrambling to cover mistakes that shouldn’t even be happening. It's exhausting watching the same problems repeat.
To update everyone on the 2026 COBRA costs, I just received the official document outlining costs so wanted to share. Appears costs are up about 15% from 2025 COBRA when averaging Medical/Dental/Vision. Looking about $900 monthly for single, $1637 for primary & domestic partner, and $2296 for family. This is an Anthem BCBS plan so other plans may vary.
OUCH!
I thought this deserved to be on top for more people to see. Thanks, @27c+1k9rdcg3n.
JD absolutely burned Nike, pure failure no question. His strategy was cost reduction and DTC, no real tech chops as PK hoped, fitting of a consultant. Company value cut in half 2020-2024 during his time!
How does PK wipe the egg off his face after hand selecting JD, demoralizing employees, and scaring off shareholders? Go back to the safety of Nike DNA roots picking EH a former Dallas Cowboy trainer for his friend JJ.
Cronie nepotism at its best. EH is WAY over his head, he’s a salesman not a CEO. Nike has a very uncertain future ahead, it’s worrisome.
What’s next people? More excuses ahead of earnings coming certainly…
Does anybody know how much has been spent on it already?
https://www.reddit.com/r/IBM/comments/1ownc23/between_the_hire_act_and_ibms_new_100k_visa_fee/
"why are we sending billions in subsidies to insurance companies when we could just give the money directly to Americans to choose their own healthcare"
Won’t people just pocket the money and go uninsured raising the cost for everyone else?
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/nov/08/senate-republicans-trum
Already being forgotten about weeks after it’s much hyped “release”. How many millions were spent on this snake oil AOL instant messenger robo-text waste of time? Someone in “design” gon be heading for the soup kitchen once tommy and the boys get wind of this! “BRB workin claims xoxo”
I'm looking at how COBRA rates are quoted and it almost looks like COBRA rates aren't geographic specific -- nationwide. (?) So they almost look CHEAPER to me (Northern California) than FTE rates. Am I mis-reading or can somebody confirm what I'm seeing?
COBRA rates: https://teamworks.wellsfargo.com/pdf/ABE_2026/RS_COBRA.pdf
should we not expect could cost to come down drastically, thank to AI - Why it is goin up instead- profiteering ?
It’s curious how benefit solutions keeps calling this a vital benefit but meanwhile, they probably wish most of us gone or d.ead.
And the cost of this stuff just went up 6%. That’s nearly 4 times more than the rate my salary went up. Benefits are supposed to be beneficial. All I do is get poorer here.
So glad that in this time of need Amazon has decided that my salary would be better suited going towards the big beautiful ballroom, than me and my family. Thanks corporate overlords.
Healthcare costs are going to continue to go up (for everyone) virtually everywhere.
Even has AI continues to displace (entry-level white collar jobs) over time (the unemployment rate rising will continue will show it).
Realize that there are significant number of well enumerated drone workers at Shell, but doing business in and traveling to India have potential regulatory burdens…the Chevron model.
Summary of the Situation
Chevron has invested approximately $1 billion in its Engineering and Innovation Excellence Center (ENGINE) located in Bengaluru, India. While this expansion is intended to improve efficiency and global project collaboration, there may be long-term tax and compliance costs associated with how the operation is structured under Indian law.
The following sections outline general, factual information based on standard international taxation frameworks such as Permanent Establishment (PE) and Transfer Pricing — not internal Chevron data.
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Permanent Establishment (PE) and Tax Liability
• If a foreign company establishes a fixed place of business in India (for example, an engineering or project office), Indian authorities may classify it as a Permanent Establishment (PE).
• This triggers tax obligations on profits attributed to work performed in India, even if the project serves clients elsewhere.
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Profit Attribution
• Under Indian law, part of a company’s global income can be taxed locally if significant value creation or management occurs in India.
• For instance, if Australian or U.S. projects are executed by teams in India, India can claim a portion of those profits for taxation.
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Taxation of Foreign Subsidiaries
• Corporate Tax: Subsidiaries or branches in India are taxed on income earned locally, typically around 22% (plus surcharge and cess).
• Transfer Pricing: Intercompany transactions (e.g., management fees, subcontracting, asset transfers) must follow India’s arm’s-length pricing rules.
• Withholding Tax: Payments from India to foreign parent entities (royalties, fees, or dividends) may face withholding taxes depending on applicable treaties.
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Cross-Border and Expat Implications
• Projects Managed from India: Even if work supports projects in Australia or the U.S., India can still tax the related income if the work is performed domestically.
• Foreign Expats in India: Employees from other countries working in India may be taxed under Indian income tax laws based on their residency status.
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Estimated Financial Impact (Industry Benchmarks)
Benchmarking studies (e.g., from KPMG and EY) indicate potential cost impacts in several areas:
• Transfer Pricing Adjustments: 5–15% increase in taxable income due to stricter cost scrutiny (e.g., management fees, FX losses, share-based pay).
• Profit Attribution: 15–25% of global project profits could be attributed to India for high-value engineering or design work.
• Compliance Costs: Ongoing regulatory, IT, and operational costs may total $2M–$5M annually depending on scale.
Five-Year Projection (2025–2030):
• Transfer Pricing Adjustments: estimated at $10 million to $20 million per year, totaling $50 million to $100 million over five years.
• Profit Attribution Tax Impact: estimated at $15 million to $30 million per year, totaling $75 million to $150 million over five years.
• Compliance and Administrative Costs: estimated at $2 million to $5 million per year, totaling $10 million to $25 million over five years.
• Total Global Business Unit Cost: approximately $27 million to $55 million per year, or $135 million to $275 million over a five-year period across all Chevron business units utilizing the Indian center.
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Strategic Considerations
While India offers substantial cost and talent advantages, aggressive profit attribution and tax compliance requirements could partially offset those savings. This highlights a broader issue many multinationals face when expanding shared services or engineering hubs abroad.
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Sources:
• Indian Income Tax Act and Transfer Pricing Rules
• OECD Guidelines on Permanent Establishments
• Public benchmarking data from KPMG and EY
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Would be interested to hear others’ perspectives on how these kinds of global engineering consolidations impact overall efficiency and cost management across Chevron’s business units.
Well the Train Station looks nice, but is a money pit for taxpayers and Ford. There are supposed to be. 5,000 w2 employees working there today, nowhere near that.
MST home dispatch tech use and abuse company assets
MST home dispatch tech use and abuse company assets. They drive 100K-200K bucket trucks to their home and back to their home garage everyday. Big V8 6.3 L engines use a lot of gas and insurance on top. Also, with MST high pay and only have .5 job per tech a day per tech how is that saving company money and liability.
There are rules to follow when joining home dispatch program. Following the rules helps save gas and time and wear and tear on a vehicle used to drive to work and to home. But MSTs abuse this program from driving to the garage every day and dispatching at the garage. Making a stop at the grocery store to grocery shop in the company vehicle before driving home. Not closing your last job at the job site and instead, drive home and being still dispatched on your work ticket and then closing the job when you arrive home. I follow the rules, and I do not want the home dispatch program to go away because of MSTs taking advantage of the abuse. Also, MST managers are favoring many MSTs and letting the home dispatch MSTs do what ever they want. STOP ABUSING THE HOME DISPATCH PROGRAM YOU MSTs. You know who you are...
Starting December, toll booths will be installed at the entrances to SOMO, Peak, Westlake and LT. The access charge will be $10/day or $100/month. They're making a toll to get around parking fee regulations.
The installations should be done by Q2.
Upset?
Good. Then why do you accept the same costs in virtual tolls for RTO?
Folks who've worked at WF for years know what I'm talking about. Take a great idea in theory, use the WF way, and F it all up!!!!
WF 1ndia is a classic case. They took lower cost staff as the reason to outsource. Yet, WF built huge campuses over there. They hired a TON of staff over there. As most know, 3 of them do the work of 1 of us. And guess what, over there being in MGMT is sorta like being an emperor. (OK, sultan for them). So, if you take a look WF 1ndia is top heavy now with tons and tons of top and middle MGMT. And, don't forget all the junket flights WF execs take every few months to go there and "meet".
If you think they are flying coach, think again!! Any flight that is over 5 hours puts the flyer in business or first class, every time.
All this adds up to tremendous overhead and costs. Ask me, and I'd opine that these costs have made the 1ndia bloat super big at WF. To the point, its actually cheaper to hire USA staff. Yep. You heard it here first. Let's not even get into the political things like BRICS and how 1ndia is hanging with our adversaries. Nope, no one thought of that.....LMAO
Please make sure you read the details of the 2026 medical plan benefits. Cigna is adding a $55.38 per pay period surcharge if your spouse is eligible for insurance through their employer.
They are promoting a capped increase of no more than 5% but that does not take into account the spousal surcharge.
This company does not care about you, and they think they can get rid of you in order to save costs. That is all this company cares about, is money. So, that is the way to make them hurt and feel some pain...
We are all in positions where we can make the company costs increase significantly relative to our puny wages. I'm not talking about doing something severe, illegal, or sabotage. I'm not encouraging that at all and don't condone it.
In our respective areas, we all have things such as:
Again, for many of these things, you don't need to do anything active. Just stop pushing to save the company money. We can do way more cost damage than they think...
The $150M savings they are expecting annually by getting rid of us, we can easily cost them that + WAY MUCH MORE. So, Fu-k Them!
Do your part! Let the ship sink and let the bean counters feel some pain.
Yesterday, September 29, Sally Beauty Holdings laid off its entire in-house creative team in an effort to save overhead costs. They will instead be outsourcing labor to save money and align with competitors. This hits right before Q1, and right as the company moves into a new headquarters aimed at increasing collaboration and productivity.
Recent proposals for a 100% tariff on imported branded and patented pharmaceuticals will likely increase costs for Express Scripts by raising the acquisition price of dr-gs it manages.
As a pharmacy benefit manager (PBM), Express Scripts' business model depends on managing dr-g costs for its clients, and the tariff would disrupt its negotiations and supply chain.
The specifics of the tariff proposal, announced by former President Donald Trump in late September 2025, suggest the following potential effects on Express Scripts:
Higher dr-g costs: Express Scripts' profitability comes from its ability to negotiate rebates and discounts with dr-g manufacturers. The tariff on imported patented dr-gs would significantly raise the base price for many brand-name medications, potentially undermining or negating any savings the PBM can achieve.
Negotiation challenges: The tariff could dramatically alter Express Scripts' negotiating power with foreign pharmaceutical companies. While some large manufacturers may absorb the costs in the short term, they would likely seek to pass increases to PBMs and insurers over time, which would then affect their clients' premiums.
Supply chain disruption: The pharmaceutical supply chain is complex and global, and a 100% tariff could cause major disruptions, especially for specialized or critical medications. A dr-g shortage, exacerbated by a tariff, could force Express Scripts to direct patients toward more expensive alternative medications, further increasing costs.
Reduced competition: Generic dr-gs are excluded from the tariff, but the cost for generics could also increase, as manufacturers with thin profit margins may exit the U.S. market rather than pay the new import tax. This reduced competition could also remove a tool Express Scripts uses to keep costs down.
Uncertainty and potential for industry adaptation: The full impact is not yet clear. The tariff includes an exception for companies that are building manufacturing plants in the U.S., which has already prompted some manufacturers to announce domestic investments. If many manufacturers adapt, the long-term impact on Express Scripts could be different from the immediate, short-term price shock. The PBM will have to adapt its strategies to address these changes.
For Express Scripts, this situation creates significant risk by driving up the very costs it is designed to manage. How it adapts will depend on the final implementation of the tariffs, the response of pharmaceutical manufacturers, and the extent to which higher costs are ultimately passed on to its clients and consumers.
Hmmm.... if saving money is the reason to hire these folks, will IBM cough up a hundred grand? Doubtful, I think. Your thoughts?
A conservative guess:
10years$100,000annual salary30 developers=$30,000,000 salary investment
That is just a salary investment guess. No idea on the infrastructure investment(offices, hardware required pipeline software, etc)
For comparison. MVA which was a smashing success likely was way less of an investment.
It was already hard to explain why expats help the goal of cost reduction. Now we have to reduce more people to pay their way.
After this deadline, individuals cannot enter the U.S. on H-1B status without an additional $100,000 payment associated with their petition.
Now that it will cost $100k per year to sponsor an h1b, how do you think this impacts our fellow foreigners working at broadcom?
Are they cooked, finished or?
Trump has raised the h1b fee to 100k each. Used to be $781.00. Guess Dst and SSNC will not longer get cheap labor
They will have to hire Americans again
(Bloomberg) -- President Donald Trump is expected to sign a proclamation as soon as Friday that would move to extensively overhaul the H-1B visa program, requiring a $100,000 fee for applications in a bid to curb overuse, according to a White House official familiar with the matter.
https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/trump-mulls-adding-new-100000-fee-h-1b-visas-bloomberg-news-reports-2025-09-19/
Interesting development
https://www.cnn.com/2025/09/19/politics/trump-h1b-visa-fee
https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/trump-mulls-adding-new-100000-fee-h-1b-visas-bloomberg-news-reports-2025-09-19/
And they've not even started on Europe. No doubt still trying to spin some s-b story to the Europe work councils about wanting to feed the AI frenzy and therefore not needing the "older" generation. It's so depressing. How will people try and pick up the pieces and feed the Ellison Engine? Short answer is, I suspect, they won't. It will be a load of quiet cracking. Which means, smile at your manager, keep your nose clean and just try not stick out for the next round of culling.
It's a shame to see such tech greed, but then it seems to be the trend these days. More dollars can be had by carving out the dollar-eating humans. We're all just #cost# centres these days.
q2 2026.
fb was the one who wanted it. heard it’s costing us a fortune and that most of us will be asked to be BH-based. potential attendance/remote exceptions for those on LI, etc.
Yes we are going to have fun in the future. we don't need to pay for a phone line. It is a car payment. We will cut it and will just get a land line. The past was the portable phone. The future is no more phone to hold. We can't afford it....and more importantly we don't need it. The that new stuff to do will come besides swiping some supid plastic device into empty space. love the next thing coming
Does anyone know what all these VPs actually do? Other than wasting money?
I have heard a rumor that the Research/Engineering EMTECH Organization Charges $400+ USD per hour to an Affiliate for EMTECH Services in 2025. Is this True?
Pre-2020, the cost of an SME in EMRE (now EMTECH) was only $230 per hour and the cost of a Junior Engineer was $180 per hour.
Why is EMTECH so expensive in 2025?