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[–]weavilsatemyface 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

I've worked with large companies too, and I can tell you that most (but not all) are absolutely scrupulous about doing exactly what the contract requires by the letter of the law, and not one iota more. If the contract gives them the right to take a pound of flesh, they'll take that pound of flesh, and then pay you exactly what they are contracted to pay, on the dot when it is due according to their accounting department's schedule (30 days after the month following the month you submit the invoice is common here), which will be written into the contract.

Its not so much that large corporations are moral, but that they are big, impersonal machines that don't give a shit one way or another about you, neither good nor bad. Once the contract is signed they can run according to a script without having to think about you at all beyond what the contract says. They don't have to stop and think "Can I screw this guy over or will it backfire?" because the level of screwage is already baked into the contract.

Like John Deer. They don't have to decide on a customer-by-customer basis whether to let you fix the equipment you've bought, because that decision (no) is already baked into the bill of sale, or even earlier.

They'll bend you over and screw you to within an inch of your life if that's what the contract says, but its not personal. Whereas I think with Trump it's always personal, he's always looking for the scam. And I think aggressively corrupt companies like Comcast and the late and un-lamented Enron are the same. But they're the exception, not the rule.

You think Disney gives a shit if they lay off 3000 people and give their bosses millions bonuses?

Of course they don't give a shit. But that's not breaking a contract. That's doing what their contracts allow them to do. Same with what HCA did.

[–]BobOki 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Yeah, exactly what I was saying. They write their contracts in a way that the contractor takes on all the upfront costs and risks, then they stall on payment for as long as they can. It's a pretty sad state.