Thread regarding IBM layoffs

When IBM acquired my company 15 years ago, they asked e if I needed an office, sicne all my team were on the road. They told me I had to work from home. Now they release me, because I work from home.

Co-location is affecting more than just sales and marketing. It seems to be happening in development labs and HQ locations too.

So this is really funny. It's ibm processes and matrix management that make the company move like a turtle-- no remote employees. Bringing employees together in one location - how will that help when it still takes months to implement an ad campaign with IBM vendors, make any decisions or open a purchase order. I hope the competition grabs the remote employees.

The first time 'co-location' (as they are calling it) was mentioned was this past spring. The VP of Marketing reporting directly to the CMO let it 'out of the bag' on an all hands call in August. Since then, our new Chief Digital Officer held a town hall speaking to this very thing,'The era of the work at home employee is no more. We are going to function like a start up, everyone in the office sitting together. For some that will change your current arrangement with IBM. Perhaps your commute with increase or you will need to evaluate your situation with IBM all together.'

My manager has called everyone on my team to let us know the four cities and that it is coming, just a matter of when. The rumor mill is swirling, each day something new goes around on timing and what will be handed out. This has been the worst handling I've ever seen of a reorg in my short 6 years with the company.

Just this week, the GMC (global marketing center) in India where one of my teammates lives has already been told that they can no longer work from home as the WW employees are co-locating in the US - effective immediately. Reorgs outside of marketing are starting to be communicated this week, with more details to come.

I believe the effort is to downsize the WW marketing headcount significantly. We have been given guidance that our marketing campaigns are changing in 2017. From thousands of campaigns around products and solutions, to ~75 across the entire company focusing on a buyer or industry. If you combine all the individual players of 10 products into one large campaign, you don't need that many people.

The co-locations are grossly unfair and those affected need to fight back. The best course of action is to identify the IBMer implementing this plan and then raise a fuss with his or her manager. From experience I found that talking to an IBM manager always brings results.

Prep your cvs, network outside (client) all energy should be focused on securing your next job, dont wait on a measly package.. get out while you can.

Inside and Field Sales RA = 100% confirmed

How reliable is your source on:

• Working from home, if you choose to stay/move, will be eliminated.

I don't know about Austin but the other three are prohibitively expensive to live in.

It makes no sense to do a reorganization and then start a process that will eliminate a large number of employees. They'd just need another reorganization after that.

What kind of legal department does IBM have to approve something like this? This is constructive discharge the labor department in each state where the remote employees work should be notified and employees should right to their senators and representatives.

Nothing new here regarding the cities and policies, although each BU has a choice on which cities from what I have heard. So cloud marketing cities may be diff than, lets say, Mobile, et al.

I did hear that a "reorg" will be "done" (whatever that means) prior to the co-location.

OP - How reliable is this info

Any word on when the 'plan' will be announced? I have heard that co-location (the name this initiative has been given internally) has been pushed back and that the next reorganization will be finalized first then they will initiate co-location but I haven't heard exact timing.