I don't come from much, had a successful if scrappy startup and am at FAANG now. I feel ya. This is a blinkered view, though I appreciate it.
The key to the negative vibe is the absurdity of it all: the expectations set swung _rapidly_, MS is clocked $18B in profit right before announcing these freezes, and no, revenues don't go up from freezing pay. Note also the savings from the pay freeze haven't happened yet - they're saying no raises until December 2024, so savings starts in December 2023.
Yeah, guilty of not reading article detail, was assuming their net was landmark, and no, not assuming revenue is impacted by reduced expense. Also assumed pay freeze was presently in effect, meaning immediate cost avoidance and predictable expense though term of policy. Either way, I have some sympathy for the business interest and would be as interested in the internal rationale, at least as much as the reactionary injustice take/assumption.
The key to the negative vibe is the absurdity of it all: the expectations set swung _rapidly_, MS is clocked $18B in profit right before announcing these freezes, and no, revenues don't go up from freezing pay. Note also the savings from the pay freeze haven't happened yet - they're saying no raises until December 2024, so savings starts in December 2023.