It's a rude awakening: workers at Google, Facebook, and other American tech companies have long felt pampered.
Their employers went out of their way to provide them with amenities, from free gourmet canteens to generous social benefits.
Because the industry was desperately looking for staff, they were in a good negotiating position.
But the situation changed very quickly.
The business of many companies has weakened dramatically, the Facebook parent company Meta had to accept a decline in sales for the first time.
Completely new tones are now being struck in Silicon Valley.
There are hiring freezes and layoffs.
CEOs make it clear that they want to put more pressure on their staff from now on.
They let it be known that excessive demands have spread in their companies and that many employees are lacking in commitment.
This is a sobering realization for employees: the balance of power has rapidly shifted to their disadvantage.