playtherapist comments on SIAI Fundraising - Less Wrong

59 [deleted] 26 April 2011 08:35AM

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Comment author: playtherapist 26 April 2011 05:34:26PM 10 points [-]

Employee compensation generally includes more than just salary- there's the cost of the employers share of social security, health insurance and any other benefits. If these are included in the figures listed, then the employees salaries are considerably less. If the Singularity Institute isn't providing health insurance, than buying individual policies is a major expense for the employees. The Bay Area is also one of the most expensive places to live in the U.S.

Comment author: cousin_it 26 April 2011 06:34:57PM 2 points [-]

If donation money is used to buy worktime (which is good and well), why not move to Thailand and save the world from there? :-)

Comment author: CarlShulman 26 April 2011 06:44:47PM 11 points [-]

Sounds great from a weather perspective :)

Alas, folk need to see collaborators, arrange Singularity Summits, interact with donors, board members, and media in the US, Constant travel to and fro would be an imperfect substitute, and flight costs (including time and jet lag) would claw back the cost-of-living gains and more.

Comment author: cousin_it 26 April 2011 08:32:43PM 1 point [-]

My suggestion wasn't completely serious, but thanks for the answer anyway!

Comment author: Nisan 26 April 2011 08:38:29PM 1 point [-]

I'm given to understand this is why the Visiting Fellows program is being temporarily moved to Bali.

Comment author: Nick_Tarleton 26 April 2011 08:41:26PM 7 points [-]

Last I heard, this is not actually the case.

Comment author: ameriver 27 April 2011 08:09:24AM 0 points [-]

The rule of thumb I've heard is that an employee's cost to their employer is between two and three times their salary. Even if the employer is not paying benefits, they still have to carry worker's comp insurance, for example, as well as administrative overhead on managing payroll, etc.