Microsoft Becomes First Industry Giant to Require Paid Leave for Contract Workers

PSBJ | Jacob Demmitt | Mar. 26

http://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/blog/techflash/2015/03/microsoft-becomes-first-industry-giant-to-require.html?ana=e_tf&s=newsletter&ed=2015-03-26&u=ilbLUrKrU2/jjJJmX4zKbA08463807&t=1427412215

Microsoft announced new rules Thursday that require all U.S. suppliers to give employees 15 days of paid leave each year. That means many of the company’s contract workers — thousands of whom live in the Puget Sound region — will start receiving extra benefits over the next year. The new rules impact everyone from a highly paid coder hired by an outside consulting firm to a security guard brought in to watch the Redmond campus. These contractors work right alongside Microsoft employees, but receive different benefit packages from their actual employer. Microsoft has about 2,000 contractors and vendors, according to the New York Times.

 

Reform H-1B Now — Then Raise the Cap

InfoWorld | Bill Snyder | Mar. 26

http://www.infoworld.com/article/2901897/h1b/reformed-h-1b-visa-program-raise-the-cap.html

With tech salaries soaring and competition for qualified IT workers becoming frenetic, it may be time to ease the labor shortage by modestly raising the cap on imported talent admitted to the United States via the H-1B visa program. But because there’s solid evidence that the existing H-1B program is rife with abuse, any increase in the cap must be accompanied by real safeguards and penalties for employers who use H-1B as a way to avoid hiring qualified U.S. workers.

 

Patent Pals: UW Makes it Easier for Businesses to Sponsor Research

PSBJ| Rachel Lerman | Mar. 25

http://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/blog/techflash/2015/03/patent-pals-uw-makes-it-easier-for-businesses-to.html?ana=e_tf&s=newsletter&ed=2015-03-25&u=ilbLUrKrU2/jjJJmX4zKbA08463807&t=1427412229

University of Washington just made it easier for businesses to sponsor research that could turn into successful companies, bolstering the school’s growing commercialization efforts. UW introduced “pre-packaged intellectual property” for sponsorships. The program allows businesses to negotiate financial terms for patents at the beginning of a project. The program, called the Washington Innovation Advantage, will make it easier for UW researchers to take the technology and innovations they work on within the school, and partner with existing companies – or even build their own companies – to create products that can eventually go to market. The idea is to prevent businesses that want to use UW research to build new products from walking away when they have to keep negotiating the licensing terms, something that can be costly and time-consuming.

 

The XX Factor: Getting More Young Women Ready For STEM Jobs

Forbes | Valley Voices—Linda Hallman and Scott A. McGregor | Mar. 26

http://www.forbes.com/sites/valleyvoices/2015/03/26/the-xx-factor-getting-more-young-women-ready-for-stem-jobs/

More girls and women than ever before are studying and excelling in science, technology, engineering and applied mathematics (STEM) studies, but those gains are not being reflected in the workforce, according to a new research report published today by the American Association of University Women (AAUW). The number of women working as computer scientists is actually declining, and women still make up only 12 percent of working engineers, according to the AAUW report, “Solving the Equation: The Variables for Women’s Success in Engineering and Computing.” Even more troubling, qualified women are leaving the STEM workforce in large numbers, even though there is rising demand for their skills and even though STEM jobs offer more flexibility for balancing work-life issues than many other professions, according to the AAUW research. Why? “Solving the Equation” concludes that the reasons are complex and involve social, educational, personal and workplace issues. But one theme emerges again and again: Stereotypes and biases play a major role in discouraging women from pursuing careers in STEM professions, starting early in life and continuing into the workplace.

 

Think there’s a startup bubble? Bet $100K on it.

CNN Money | Sara Ashley O’Brien | Mar. 25

http://money.cnn.com/2015/03/25/technology/sam-altman-bubble-talk/

Think the tech bubble is going to burst? Then put your money where your mouth is. As early-stage startups capture millions within months of launching and receive sky-high valuations despite little to no revenue, those in tech have been sounding warning bells. But Sam Altman, president of elite Silicon Valley accelerator Y Combinator, says he doesn’t subscribe to this belief. In a blog post, Altman acknowledges that yes, there have been some unreasonable early-stage valuations, but those are insignificant compared to the larger market.”It’s a small amount of capital and still nothing I would call a ‘bubble,'” he wrote. He admits that he’s “pretty paranoid” about bubbles — yet he feels very hopeful about the future of tech. And he’s willing to bet on it.

 

Obama’s Raid on Silicon Valley Tech Talent Continues

Fast Company | John Paul Titlow | Mar. 24

http://www.fastcompany.com/3044199/fast-feed/obamas-raid-on-silicon-valley-tech-talent-continues

The White House is on a tech hiring spree. Not even a week after nabbing a former Facebook engineer as its new director of IT, the White House just hired another Silicon Valley veteran. And he has quite the resume. Jason Goldman, a former product executive at both Google and Twitter, will serve as the first-ever U.S. chief digital officer, according to Politico. In his new role, Goldman will oversee the government’s digital strategy and the White House’s own digital outreach. It’s this type of seasoned pedigree that the White House needs to beef up the federal government‘s approach to technology and digital media, especially after the botched launched of Healthcare.gov in 2013.