At this pilot fish’s workplace, management has implemented a new idea: Highly paid, highly skilled regular IT employees are going to keep an eye on teams of low-end contractors.

“Ostensibly, it’s to open doors so they can have access to rooms,” fish grumbles. But the contract requires all the contractors to have valid security clearances, agree to the company’s rules of behavior and take its computer security and privacy training.

“After all this, they’re not allowed to do their work unless one of our IT people is ‘escorting’ them,” sighs fish.

“I believe in trust-but-verify, but isn’t this carrying it a little too far? How can we afford to pay people for not doing their jobs, but can’t afford to hire anyone to fill empty positions?”

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