Thread regarding IBM layoffs

Co-location is a ploy to avoid paying severance that 'just works'. Expect to see more of it. In Canada, co-location tactics are illegal, but IBM gets away with it. Here's how - with stories from my lawyer...

An employee with 20 years experience can expect 2 years severance (with my condolences to US workers who obviously get much less). After concocting a co-location scenario, IBM says "move or quit". Most quit but a few Canadian employees have rightly taken IBM to court. It hasn't worked out very well. IBM drags out legal proceedings for up to two years and then offers to settle immediately before trial. The former employee gets an offer for something like 20 months salary after waiting two years. Most take it. But they also have $30K+ of legal bills and would have done better working elsewhere for the past two years. A few brave people have proceeded to trial. They win 20-24 months pay but now have $60K of legal bills and end up further behind.

IBM's bad faith extends beyond employees to now include the Canadian justice system. It is time for Canada to give IBM its co-location notice.

What a totally random way to decide who leaves the company. They don't care who they lose as long as they lose the right number of people. I know organizations where everyone has always been remote and no one is near a strategic site. So the whole organization will just be gone. No one thinks that might be a problem?

Younger people can relocate with relative ease. Older people who own homes cannot do so. Ergo: age discrimination done on the sly.

You are toast. If you relocate you will find there's no office space, parking, etc.