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Comment by munk-a | Hacker News Reader

I think this somewhat speaks to the pay gap present on this platform. From my position I'd happily accept a 40k payout if you wanted to contract me to never say the word "are" for two years. It's all a balance - if you have 20million sitting in the bank then 40k sounds like nothing, but 40k is a lot of money to most people - enough that they'd be happy to agree to some terms that won't significantly affect their lives just to take home the cash and get, lets say, two months of vacation budgeting (a conservative estimate) to enjoy.

40k is a lot of money.

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I don't have 20 million sitting in the bank, but I still definitely wouldn't take that. 40k is definitely a lot to me, but if it's similar to an NDA, you have to assume that the legal and financial penalties if you mess up could be ruinous. And I'm almost definitely going to mess up and accidentally say the word "are".

The 40k isn't a gift, it's a payment in order to take on a liability. I'd have a lot more success not talking about why I was let go, as opposed to not saying the word "are", but I'd still have to weigh the consequences of messing up one drunken or tired evening.

I think the problem is that 40k is a lot of money to the average worker AND it's virtually nothing to the company.

It highlights just how out of control the wealth gap is becoming.

Well uh, the company also employs thousands of people who get more or less equally paid?

Taking a public company vs average employee as a wealth gap example is probably not showing what you want to show.

Maybe wealth gap isn't exactly what I should have highlighted. Instead we could say it shows the power corporations have to buy our basic rights away from us for a pittance.

I get what they are saying. The cost of a lawsuit for any perceived violation of this NDA would easily cost over $40k to fight or settle. If you're highly risk adverse it may actually make sense on a personal decision level to not sign any NDA's for any amount below instant retirement like 8 Figures. If you sign it will always be over your head for the rest of your life.

Yeah 40k would instantly solve all my immediate problems and set me on a path for life haha

One day I hope to see giving up 40 grand as a viable option

I'd miss:

1. International Speak Like a Pirate Day.

2. Passing by John Cook without an R-R-R-R me hearties!

Maybe you could have an accent.

Ahhh me mateys !

What do pirates have inside their compilers?

IR, matey

Well some things take priority

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