Thread regarding IBM layoffs

Heard another RA is in works due sometime in August? Knowing IBM they typically do it once a year but who knows these are testing times and IBM would take advantage of it ....

IBM Execs do not get credit when an employee retires, but they do get credit when they release someone that could retire but hasn't

I think the writing's on the wall and IBM is dying: HW is virtually non-existent besides Mainframe, Watson is sh– and has failed, Notes and Collab is gone, nobody buys SW anymore, IBM's Cloud is a niche player at best, Security is too expensive, GTS is bleeding money, etc.

Basically IBM will be dramatically reduced and repurposed as the services arm of Red Hat. Bye Bye Big Blue!

Got the ax too. Security specialist.... Close to a decade of Security work. On the one hand IBM says in each client presentation that resources and skills are the #1 problem in Security, and on the other hand they lay off Security specialists... Got two months package but I have referred to a labor lawyer.

Does anyone know if the apprenticeship program was affected?

Yes, it can. Please see this article for details:

https://www.nytimes.com/2002/01/13/business/personal-business-when-pension-and-unemployment-checks-don-t-mix.html

• the Labor Department's Pension and Welfare Benefits Administration (www.dol.gov/dol/pwba): ''Receiving a lump sum or other distribution from your pension plan may affect your ability to receive unemployment compensation.''

This is unsurprising, especially in the US. They have been pushing move to "low cost countries" (specifically India) since last year, even when the work cannot be completed in those countries in some cases due to compliance.

Is layoffs still going on in the US or it's completed on May 22nd? The reason I'm asking no one called me so far. So can I assume I survived?

I read in the "paper" that the IBMers RA's were "middle management". I am not "middle management" & the other people on my team that were RA'ed were not "middle management" either. To me, I have only heard of first line managers & below.
Also, any people with H1B visa affected?

The cuts in TSS (US) appear wide and deep. Employees affected in sales, sales support, project management, business development, offering development, service planning, service delivery support.

Darn - sorry to hear that @4sny - what a mess.

I hope someone can answer your question...

15,5 years with IBM, 34 weeks pregnant and being on leave of absence for 4 months due to my pending work permit extension (which is not IBM sponsored, I’m handling my own EAD card )...
I could find a new role in 30 days but as I’m waiting for my work permit to be extended (and upcoming maternity leave), the transfer to a new role couldn’t happen. So while other employees have the chance to find a new role, I don’t... Catch 22. I’m wondering if this is legally right (not to mention that management knew about my upcoming maternity leave that I would be starting in mid July from the very beginning)

Why do you assume older workers are no longer valuable? I am soon to retire and I am positively sure no one can fill my place. I know too much and do too much that took me years to learn. Yes, I know IBM has no obligation to keep me employed just like I have no obligation to stay. But it would be foolish for them to cut me and assume someone else can just pick up what I do.

Yes: insurance available at company rates for 1 year, and then available at COBRA rate for the 2nd year.

For those millennials that talk about those “geysers” that have been at IBM for 25 years and say we should be able to Retire by now or running the company if we are any good- WE have been supporting you and paying for your educations ! Think about the hand that fed and educated you before you open your mouth.

my friends who just graduated college with me 2 years ago were also laid off lol

It's not a senior care facility and it's not just old employees affected. I'm 24 and energetic and talented, just as much as my more experienced colleagues and I was laid off. It's just IBM not knowing what to do with their business and cutting at least one or two per team (some teams axed in entirety) like that's going to solve any of their problems. People left after this will either leave themselves having lost credibility with their employer or be forced to drop work they consider interesting and experts in and steer towards hybrid cloud, which again will make a lot more leave.

Senior care facility aye? Wait till it's your turn. I was affected as well and qualified for IBMs future roadmap. However, I am 55 and highly compensated. It's not about whether we are skilled or not. The bottom line is the bottom line. Their failure to put the senior level employees in front of sales opportunities coupled with poor sales and offshore to India sealed our fate. The benefit of paying college kid wages made their decision for usa employees. Not to mention they are going with partners for post sales to increase margins and get out of consulting space entirely. IBM has been sued for age discrimination once already and it's about to happen again.

IBM is not a senior care facility - it is a Technology company in the business of making $ for its shareholders - the sooner the old geysers understand this, the better their 'bridge to entitlement' will end.

So many responses by 'old people' on this thread. If you have spent 25+ yrs at a company and still have not become an executive or saved $, paid off the mortgages, sent ur kids to college - then shame on u. I see so many 60+ yr old's complaining about being laid off - do u expect IBM to pay you till u are 80 or 90?
If you want a job for life after 60 - join Politics and run for President and stay out of corporate america - those jobs are for the newer, younger thoughts and ideas.
Get on with the program Boomers.

23 years 9 months. Got whacked. My entire team, incl manager, work transferred to India. Can't retire.

Really looking forward to searching for a job at 62 during a global pandemic.

These people are reptiles.

I don't see dental mentioned in the Employee Information Package. No dental going forward like the medical benefit?

I am in the class of 2007 with 24 years, 10 months at age 54 years 8 months old. Being specific on the age because I could have been left on unpaid leave for the four months until I reached 55 and bridged to retirement. They eliminated our department of PDMs and those of us that were close to 55 were blacklisted from getting a job in another department.
Here's the bad news and the good news. In 2007, we were just at the beginning of the recession and no one was hiring. Due to my age, (my belief) I had no interviews for 5 years. I finally got a contract with a small IT consulting firm as a 1099 contractor that lasted 3 years. The next 3 years I got by doing little odd jobs here and there and again no interviews, despite applying for hundreds of jobs. For those who are over 45, you are going to have a hard time finding a new position that even comes close to your current salary, especially during the pandemic.
The good news. I am fortunate enough to have the old IBM pension and am celebrating one year of getting my guaranteed monthly disbursement for life. For some of you with 25+ years, you should be a part of that plan also, if you took that option when it was offered.
Good luck to everyone and know that you have unique skills to help during this pandemic. Although some of the jokes posted here hurt a little, there is some truth to the "out of the box" thinking you possess as a special talent. Use it to make a difference and create your new future.

Left via retirement on April 30. Great decision. No more daily threats based on quotas, frustrations concerning lack of competitive pay increases, nor double talk about our successful growth for shareholders while dumping poor performance messages on staff to justify withholding incentives, while senior executive staff continue to take down tens of millions of dollars annually. Sure they have so brainwashed themselves for the last six years to feel insulated from guilt at night. I always did my best by buy the company. Sad that employees being the most important asset became lip service. My blood pressure is finally down to normal.

If you received your walking papers and are in California, will you please share at the link below whether you received 30/90 or 60/90 (days of notice/severance) ?

https://www.thelayoff.com/t/155KU2CD

June 21st is Father's Day.

Happy Father's Day, Arvind.

Couldn't wait until June 31st so you can cheat loyal sales employees of quarter end commissions ?

Numerous states have WARN laws requiring 60 day layoff notice – California among them. Is IBM in violation in this round ?

On a somewhat related (California labor laws) topic, I can personally confirm that the layoff package in California is 60/90 not 30/90 - that is, last day is July 22.

1jax+154KgwW3

Does the contract job offer mean you do not receive the 90 day severance lump sum?

Another step toward being an IPP sweat shop...

IBM now stands for India Business Machines.

37 years with IBM. They laid of me and my entire department in RTP. Unreal. Offered us contract jobs to do the very same job starting the day after our employment ends.

"Numerous states have WARN laws requiring 60 day layoff notice – California among them. Is IBM in violation in this round ?"

Most WARN laws have a preset clip level that IBM is extremely aware of and skilled at preserving. In NC, they have not hit that trigger that I'm aware of.

22 years. RTP location. RAed as well. Expected it. Team has been good. IBM corp management only cares about stockholder and top management payout. That will never ever change and is common across large OLDer companies. New leader just inherit the problem , overheads and "obligations". Hope Arvind can bring good change to the good ole company.

Left earlier this year. When they announced that they weren’t doing profit-share, but instead giving out options that vested in 2 years, I knew this was coming! They were avoiding paying out, knowing that the pending layoffs would basically nullify certain option grants! I’m certain this whole thing was decided pre-pandemic.

Numerous states have WARN laws requiring 60 day layoff notice – California among them. Is IBM in violation in this round ?

Anyone in global markets get laid off? Just curious seems like I haven't seen that name thrown around.

Overpay 10x annual revenue for Red Hat; then lay off loyal employees !
Genius.

It's my turn to be RA'd and I'm lucky enough to be ready to retire, marking the end of a long, bumpy ride with IBM. I survived what seemed like annual RA's ever since the early 1990's, re-inducing PTSD each time. I saw way too many intelligent, talented, hard working people go out the door and made to feel worthless, from no fault of their own. And the survivors get the RA'd people's work piled onto them. I do the work of the last 4 people RA'd from my dept, and I sympathize with whoever gets it from me. Make no mistake, IBM is ruled by Executive greed and Corp Finance. Since the recent overpriced Red Hat acquisition, they have been cash starving the rest of IBM to try and make up for it. Those newly minted Red Hat millionaires better get their a–'s in gear and start repaying on that investment real soon, or they'll be seeing the tread of the RA boot, too. IBM Finance has never been known for patience.

Great job Ginni, for promoting the inept and feeble.

They will continue to 'lead' IBM right into the grave.

IBM contractor for STG here. Apparently my blue-badges took it on the chin yesterday. Not looking forward to seeing who's been let go. What thinking person would want to move to Missouri, no matter what the salary? Same sh– they did when they took away remoting. Probably will be kept on for P10, but who really knows?