Rapidigm was sued by its employees & Penalized by INS.

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I have a fundamental question. Why this Rapidgm thing keep coming back to this forum? I have not seen comments about any other company as far as I remember. Is there an employee who has a grudge is spreading rumour in different id's?
 
But for a spirited defense from a couple of guys, the general reaction is very hostile towards Rapidigm. I have only mentioned that. I also personally heard very ugly things about this company.
The main problem with rapidigm is that their indian recruiters tell lot of lies at the time of recruiting (regarding bench pay, GC continuity etc) where as when the candidate comes to bench, they behave like any other American company. There is nothing wrong in laying off a person if he is in bench, but the recruiters should not tell the candidate that they will pay him in bench and do not terminate him(when the reality is there is nothing like bench if your skillset is not hot). If you make a search by the key word 'rapidigm' in this forum, you will know what people think of this company. A company's character is determined by how much it stands by it's empoyees when they are out of project. In that aspect, rapidigm scores ultra low marks.
Please see the following links in this forum, about Rapidigm.

http://boards.immigrationportal.com...80&perpage=15&highlight=Rapidigm&pagenumber=1

http://boards.immigrationportal.com...61&perpage=15&highlight=rapidigm&pagenumber=1

There are several other postings which show this company in very poor light. It might have changed or improved now(hopefully).
 
I am working for Rapidigm for last 3 years and had no problems with them so far. Their immigration department is probably one of the best that you can get. Also, they pay all your expenses if you have to move. Salary is decent. Benefits such as medical, 401 are good. I don't expect anything else from them.
 
dsatish,
I dont know anything about Rapidigm nor any friends working for it.

If you go thru this immigration forum and bring up a few posts with a few people complaining, that may not be the truth. For whatever reasons one might be laid-off, people turn around and complain. But, given the economy, that is the reality as no job is secure, be it the CEO or the janitor.

Besides, if you want to check on companies go to http://www.vault.com. Specifically go through the "Top 20 Message Boards", http://www.vault.com/community/mb/mb_top20.jsp.

Read Accenture, IBM BCS (ex-PwC), Siebel, CGEY, BearingPoint (ex-KPMG), DT, etc. boards. These are some of the largest consulting companies in the world. The employees are so frustrated and gripe so much that Rapidigm might seem heavenly.
 
Looks like new1975 is heavily paid by Rapidgm. May be recruiter there. Otherwise, I don't see much rationality is stressing BEST for everything. How much they charge and how much they paid the consultants every body knows and finally it is a business corporation which has to generate profits. No body does it for charity and one should not expect that.

Three of my friends got laid off immediately (may be they got 2 to 3 weeks notice)after losing their jobs.. Among those three, two of them cleared their 140 but didn't file 485 as they were in the process of collecting the certificates. One was waiting for his wives Birth certificate and the other one was waiting for his experience letters. Third one was in the last stages of I-140. One advantage with Rapidgm is that they file Labor from Pittsburg and the labor was fast.

For the last three years on this forum, many people in this forum also informed of the ill and inhuman treatment meted out to them. Most guys expressed their deep anguish.I can see their pain in the mails posted here. Even "new1975" does not deny that they will cancel their H1B by giving two to three weeks notice. They didn't allowed my friends to file 485. Rapidigm follows hire and fire policy for H-1B. They promise everything under the sun when you are in the project just like desi consultants but they fire once you are out and didn't get the project in two or three weeks. At least, desi companies are better, they don't fire you and keep your process continuing. Most of them allow you to change jobs.

Whatever, makku2003,hhs or new1975 says, after seeing so many innumerous mails in this forum and also after personally trying to console my anguished friends, I advise many people not to look for Rapidgm if you are keen on Green card. Anyway, by industry standards, they are quite normal in compensation benefits and medical insurance and other stuff.

-rajum
 
dsatish

I totally agree with your comment;

"There is nothing wrong in laying off a person if he is in bench, but the recruiters should not tell the candidate that they will pay him in bench and do not terminate him(when the reality is there is nothing like bench if your skillset is not hot). "

But let me explain.

I work for Rapidigm as consultant. I was in Sacramento region and so I know some of the recruiters and marketers. They are both Desi and American. Regarding your comment, what do you expect? At the time of recruiting, you want the recruiter to tell you "Hey, look Mr. XYZ, I have a project now for you for 6 months and after this project is over, I am going to fire you unless I find another one for you immediately?" Do you think this will work for any company? False promises are made by every company at the time of recruitment, not only Rapidigm. Its your luck that will keep you in the company or out of the company.

For your information, Rapidigm will pay you as long as you are on the bench. But, how long, no one knows. If they see any red flag in their profits, they will fire you with 2 weeks notice. Being a relatively big company, they have set of rules and regulations, which they are bound to follow. I was on bench for more than 2 months in 2002 and I got paid regularly. There were also times in 2001, when there were about 50 consultants on bench, some even for 6 months, and Rapidigm has paid all during that bench period.

Until June 2001, Rapidigm was among hottest companies, where people wanted to join, because of its record on job security, immigration, insurance and other benifits. Mind you, during that time all big 5 companies for firing people left and right. That set a range of high expectations for all those who joined it. But, when the economy turned really bad and when there were not many opportunities, Rapidigm also started firing people. That includes many who were even in I-485 status. Those who were in the projects were lucky to escape the sacking. But, their expectations about the Company still reamined high. So, with weaker economy and falling billing rates, most of these guys were asked to take pay cut, which resulted in building frustration. Adding to that is the delay in GC approval process.

In addition to the reasons above, one other reason, why we hear about Rapidigm so frequently is because the number of people it employs. They have around 2000 employees right now and I believe there will be atleast 200 members in this forum.

I don't say that there are no drawbacks in this Company. There were some unfortunate instances, where the employees were asked to take vacation during the client closures, bench period, etc. But, under the circumstances, it is one of the best companies to work with. If you have no huge expectations from the Company, then you will be least frustated and lead a happy life.


Bob
 
rajum !!!

Yes, I am paid quite a decent salary by god's grace and yes thats another plus point being a Rapidigm consultant, despite the client cutting the rates, Rapidigm didn't cut my pay check, they kept it same !. Another consulting company at my same client in same grp, cut my friends pay by 10% last year . So yes Rapidigm is paying SOLID, you got any problems with that ???. And this is Rapidigm's IHUMAN treatement to me and my other co-workers from Rapidigm!

These days local desi companies are paying 45-50K for solid java programmers with 6-7 years experience in NJ/NY, please don't come up with a post that you are getting 90K in NY, well dude if some body does say that they are being paid 75K in todays market I think thats a high range salary.

What inhuman treatment are you talking about meted out to your pals dude ?. They were fired !! meaning laid off, what do you expect ? To be baby fed even when the job market is worst ??. If unfortunately somebody is fired after their 140 is filed, by INS policy they HAVE to revoke their I140 unfortunately, its INS who has framed this rule & not Rapidigm and Rapidigm has to simply follow it. If their clients had run long time they would have been treated great and your pals wud have been ga-ga over Rapidigm and you would be pleading with them to forward yr CV!.

Tomorrow if your friend is laid off from Microsoft due to bad market you will also yell that Microsoft was inhuman !, joke !

Tell me your employers name and I can research more for point to point comparison, tell me how many employees ur organization fired if it was a CONSULTING company between 2001 and 2003. How much do you pay for your health insurance in this market. How much did they charge you for GC, did they pay you if u were on bench any time, did they talk politely when you asked for a pay hike ??. May be all this is HUMAN FOR YOU !!.

Desi company sure do keep you with minimal salary or no salary on bench, what do you do then ? curse them right ?. saying that XYZ ba***** (desi employer) is running around in benz and bmw and here am eating sambar-rice and staying with 6 more desi guys in a 2 bed apt ? Dude this is definitely not human treatment, and to get a project you have to go 3 different layers and even if you are talented you at times lose a client coz the rates don't match and when they are on project, they don't even bother to send your pay check /stub properly, and when you file ur GC like labor and other things, they don't even let you know your case filing #, see the posts in labor certifications and you will see people from these desi companies desperate to know their case status. Seems you enjoy this SO CALLED HUMAN treatment for you.

See out of 2000 desi consultants on an average they must have fired 10% consultants i.e. 200, out of which may be 80% are desis which means 160 odd guys, so yes those will be plain unlucky and as I told Rapidigm has set of procedures they 've 2 follow given by INS and they cannot bend rules like desi employers, YOU GET MY POINT RAJUM ?. Do you know what 2000 number is ????? its not a desi consulting firm opened up a office in an apt with 1 pc and a fax machine and one recruiter operating for 50 odd guys !!!. And you said that nobody does CHARITY !!, absoultely right, no one does charity in this country, but the sense of professionalism and nature of behaviour differentiates from one company from another company. If they charge $100 for client, they pay the employee $50 with additional benefits, now don't ask how come they are giving this amount !, coz you wouldn't understand coz you must be underpaid and working for desi employer !. I believe even I can make conclusions just like you. And your desi employer if he makes $70, he wants to give you $20 with pathetic benefits ...

You mentioned industry standards !!, what are the industry standards please clarify ?. The other companies(CDI,CIBER) which I mentioned in my post charges you for your GC, they have increased the charge to as high as 7K and if I tell @ their medical insurance policies you wouldn't believe, they deduct as high as $240 per month !!!! you are talking $3K per year !!. Not to mention about the prescription medicines, and yes Rapidigm doesn't charge you a penny for GC for the super legal dept (I can write one big page about their legal dept). Their insurance is only max $100 deducitible if you have a big family (like 2 or more kids), if you are single as I said you don't pay a penny. So if you compare these things with the industry standars as other companies like CDI,CIBER,CEI,Kforce you will realise you are saving almost 3K per year, SORRY IF THATS INHUMAN. Also, the relocation assistance if you move, may be your desi employer must be flying you in a special aircraft, right ?. Sorry but Rapidigm only calls professional movers, to move your stuff with your car, arranges it to get it moved in 2 weeks to ur place, meanwhile you can get rental car and hotel accodomation, if ur apt is not fixed you can keep the rental car and hotel till you get your stuff and car, sorry if thats INHUMAN !.

These are not the BEST things, I can tell what Oracle does and what INTEL and Microsoft and big 5 consulting company does if you want and you will know then what BEST is. And I will also tell what INTEL, CISCO, ORACLE did in 2001 when they fired tons of people !! and then I want to see your anguish for your friends(if you have any) working in these companies and your advises of staying from these companies !!!!!!

My final adivce to you is if you want to beg for a GC then yes you better goto a desi guy and lick him and if you want to have some respect and professionalism around you, you take a different route. For you and your friends it seems by hook or by crook GC is everything !!. Even if they had to stay with 5 people in 1 bed room they would want their GC but they wouldn't goto India and work like a king for 25,000 Rs/month !. Try and see how things are in the market in today's world, the americans don't have jobs for themselves and you expect Indians in their land to be treated or baby fed even after the employers don't have work for them. You gotta be kidding !. I feel whoever has a job now in the US is very lucky and yes talented too (no doubt), but those who lost were unlucky and yes again talented too(no doubt).

Please everybody, I would not say that Rapidigm is number one company, but certainly better to work if you 've a project thru them and if economy is decent. If some one would have told me that in hay days Rapidigm fired people and canceled ur GC then surely I would have understood !

Adios !

PS: somebody asked if Rapidigm hires non-Indians, yes there are plenty of Americans working and other nationality .
 
Irrespctive of all your comments and opinions

First of all I am not one amongst you.

Irrespective of whatever you say, WHAT I HAVE LEARNT IS NOT FALSE. I am very positive about it else I don’t waste even a second of my time writing useless messages here. I will not be able to provide the link or an article about it because this kind of new will not be publicly posted on Internet or elsewhere. Because it’s not Microsoft or Oracle or CISCO or any public company followed by Wall Street or corporate world. After all it’s one of the body shoppers. These are confidential matters no one writes an article about it or for that matter who cares except the employees and victims. All of you may express your perspective based on your experience with Rapidigm. It doesn’t matter whether it’s good or bad.

Here is little bit of background to this........

Rapidigm used to maintain unpaid bench until INS warned them. They used this practice until early 2002. Later they stopped it (because someone complained to INS) and started laying off people whoever is on bench after few weeks. Later, The company policy turned out as if you are with Rapiding you are paid all the time otherwise you are no longer with Rapidigm.

I don’t want to debate about whether Rapidigm is good or bad. It’s good for someone and not for some who cares. It’s totally your perspective.

The bottom line is if you know something about this matter and want to help others do post it else, don’t waste your time.
As you know if you want to help there are various ways to help.
 
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Rapidigm is not alone, all the consulting companies are same. It is the concept of consulting companies need bashing but not any particular company.

If the consulting companies can fire when someone is not on project, then why not work on 1099 directly at client place. I don't any difference between 1099 direct and W-2 from a consulting company, atleast one can make more money working directly as consultant at client place using 1099.

I strongly believe that consulting companies should be shown doors and all big companies should invite 1099 consultants directly.
 
Hi Edison,

If you kick out consulting companies and work on 1099, then how will the Marketing/Sales people get their commissions and how will the hiring managers get their kick backs.

1099 will never work. Company hiring mangers have many excuses like overheads and liability (if 1099 consultant does not pay tax, then the company/client needs to pay that amount) etc to reject 1099 candidates.

Don't we know why all these client always have only a small set of preferred vendors.

one gets commission and the other gets kick back. This is what people call a handshake or a deal.

1099s will survive only if the can promise a better kick back.

It's a corrupt world... The only difference west is more polished than the east.

Consulting companies will always prosper....


Thanks
 
Mr. Bond,

Well first of all I don't understand why did you say as FLASHING NEWS as if there is some serious issue. And then after writing about it, you don't even reveal your source, and in an ironic way you say that you don't waste a second writing useless message here. You don't have any source, you 've not mentioned that you know some one in this company. You kept mum when people were asking you to tell the sources. And then you don't have any body to back up your claim.

To enlighten about your finding, Rapidigm paid bench salary every time when a consultant was on bench and even now it pays if they don't want to fire the employee on bench. I know 200 odd consultants through different clients and common Rapidigm parties and at least 5 recruiters in this company and there was never such an issue.

So now I guess I know something about this matter and am helping others by this finding,you too better stop posting false alarms without backing up with any clarification. And if you are not 100% sure better post it in subtle way and not like a FLASHY NEWS !. When it comes to bashing I think every body is upfront without even second thought.

Please refrain from doing such things,you said you want to help others, I guess the way you sounded it didn't appear, what was the point ? Even if Rapidigm is not paying people on bench what is the harm and whats the serious issue out here ?. And if Rapidigm is fined by INS and now paying people on bench what is the serious issue here ?. Nothing....paying/not paying on bench has always been each company's individual policy. Albeit, according to INS it is not allowed. Non Consulting like Oracle and other company's they don't have anything like Bench and they fire immediately with 2 weeks notice and some severance package (which is peanuts for them).

So now Mr.Bond don't waste your second(s) again in writing meaningless post.
 
Pingpong02,
I agree with your comment.
Edison,
I agree with your comment about the consulting companies.

What is unethical about consulting companies is that they promise everything under the moon when you are in project but they don't do even a minimal things like providing essential medical benefits while on bench. In that sense I agree with the comment of bbbishop. Even in my mail, I didn't argued that one has to pay bench indefinitely and I also made a point that corporations are not charity organisations and they need to generate profits. One can understand if they cancel H-1B's but not much rationality is there in cancelling 140 and 485. I forgot to mention that another friend joined Rapidgm because they promise him to substitute labor and they file I-140 directly because he has a project in hand. This type of blatant opportunistic pisses off people. You are not continuing Green card for people who worked for you for three years but you are willing to file simultaneous I-140 and I-485 for a person who has managed to get the project.

new1975,
I don't have any problem in getting you good salary. Most probably you may deserve it. I said that to make a point that one need not justify so hard to stress a point. This is typical of hard selling of anything where one loses the balance between right selling and overselling thereby people recognises the hidden agenda.
My comment is indicating towards that and nothing personal. If you take it personally, I apologize for that. But at the same time, I want to say certain things on your mail.
I think you made assumptions about my salary and other things. I am sorry to say that your assumptions are wrong. For the last three years, I am making 6-digit salaries.
Your approach is typical of American capitalism. One of the problems with this capitalist approach is stressing too much of efficient market theories and lately even capitalist economists like Joseph Stilgz(Nobel prize winner in year 2001 and Clinton's economic advisor for seven years) are opposing this kind of efficient theories. Because of this typical American capitalist approach which does not recognise social and political backgrounds that America is facing such a backlash today in the world. Rapidigm also followed this and it is bound to face backlash if they continue to take opportunistic stands with justications in the form of efficient priniciples. How best one may be efficient, one might come to bench and in this case even the best person may not be sure very sure of getting a job and if you just throw him out even if that person was not on job for a single day for last three years, then what we are talking about. Even if Microsoft does or Oracle does it , it is inhuman. The least one can tell is telling upfront and not after three years, that this is our policy.
One cannot change the policies in the middle of the game just because it suits them and there is no doubt that Rapidgm has done that.

Anyway, there is no point entering into big debates

-rajum
 
Immigration Dept is good

Guess we are in this forum for discussion on immigration related problems and accordingly I wuld say Rapidigm's Immigration Dept is good. I got my GC approved recently after getting an RFE and I wuld tell u they replied to my RFE in a day with future intent to hire and salary etc..
I have a co-worker (who works for a Different desi company)
who got a RFE in Oct 2002 and is still waiting for his GC..
Reason his company first refused to respond to the RFE with employment letter and then after 1000 phone calls responded to the RFE when the deadline of 90 days was abt to reach..

Now he is still waiting for GC approval..
In that sense Rapidigm Immigration Dept is honest and efficient.

Salary and other stuff its not even worth Discussing in this economy..
 
Rapidigm is as shit a company as any other desi company is

I have worked with couple of Rapidigm Consultants and they were saying its a shit company to work for. They fire next day you come on bench, don't do concurrent I-140 and I-485. Not worth joining if you are looking for Green card
 
latest rapid info

how is the company etc? i may be interested in a future position with them. is there hope of a gc? do they pay on bench
lots of rumoiurs
 
That's all crap, Rapidigm is not that bad company. I used work for them in back in 2000-2001. They could not find a position for me in two months as their billing was high. They paid me bench pay for the two months, my medical , travel. As the market was not doing good then, they gave me termination notice. But on the last day of my termination I got an assignment in Oklahoma (FED Govt) I refused to take becuase of their firing policy. I had gone back to my previous employer.

**Once they terminate the employee they stop the GC processing it is their practise. They update INS the same.
 
The Law suit is true...

Well as of the news of Law suit is concerned , it is true. I just checked with my Recruiter, He informed me that there were some 30 odd consultants working for an computer based company which just purchased other big computer company in Texas. This company had a huge lay off's to be announced hence they requested Rapidigm to take out there consultants out for some time and promised to take them back after a month or so. Now some of the greedy Recruiters and Marketers thought of it, and to pay so many consultants for some time, they requested (oops Forced ) these Consultants to use up all the vacation earned by these consultants, and also for the remaining days to go on leave without pay.

All the consultants got together and filed a Law suite, Because the funny thing of this vacation was that they cannot go out of town, be on call from 8.00 AM EST to 6 PM PST, if any temporary assignment comes up, then the consultant needs to start immediatly.

And the consultant won the battle in court of law. and then Rapidigm where forced to grant all the leave that they had forced all the consultant in last one year.
 
CONSULTING

Guys,

The other side of the COIN: I am not in the consulting business per say, nor I am making a six figure salary. Most of the folks here look at problems from a very narrow view; one's GC and salary and benefits.
Is it true that companies like this and others ABUSED the H1-B visa process, the LC process, the GC process?????? Do you believe that fraud may have been involved in a lot of cases? One case of fraud and the USCIS reacts in the following way: Put a whole bunch of applications with a SIMILAR profile on HOLD....talking of backlogs.
Do you know that future potential immigration reforms will take into account the COMPANY pre-approval process wrt immigration matters?
What do we consider a good immigration department? The one that bends the rules and gives us a GC? What happened to the dual intent?? Did you see the new memos and regulations??

I would say, consider yourselves lucky and work for more urgent matters and get a permanent job where there is not even the appearance of any evil. Take a look at some of the current immigration bills and search for "body shops", both here and abroad...
 
I am working with Rapidigm

for last five years and never heard such a thing. Infact this year only they paid me on bench for 3 months. I am sure very few companies could pay bench that much long.
Guys these stories are all crap. Rapidigm is one of the best companies I have worked with.

Vivek
 
Re: CONSULTING

Originally posted by cinta

I would say, consider yourselves lucky and work for more urgent matters and get a permanent job where there is not even the appearance of any evil.
Click to expand...


This could be a really a feat.
 
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