IBM raising axe for 'significant workforce balancing in Europe', says staffer rep council The Global Technology Services division at IBM will bear the brunt of the latest round of bloodletting in Europe, according to a letter from the organisation that helps impacted employees navigate redundancy. In a letter to staff mid-May, seen by The Register, the European Works Council (EWC) warned of "significant workforce …
The issue is that if you take a package... you need senior execs to sign off on bringing you back.
As one of my former colleagues used to say:
Ex-employers are like ex-girlfriends: there's a reason you broke up, and there's millions of other opportunities out there, so why go back?
"The issue is that if you take a package... you need senior execs to sign off on bringing you back."
To continue the trend ....
Never go back !!!
There was a reason why *you* or the *Company* saw fit to break the original contract and go separate ways ..... it is unlikely that those reasons have gone (maybe 'at best' they have been 'painted' a different colour).
You are more than likely going to reach the point where you feel you made a mistake and it is problematic to explain away leaving the same company twice !!!
This is usually only invoked when IBM realise they need you and hire you back as a contractor at twice your old pay - it used to be the default for IBM re-fire-ees but got stamped out over a decade ago by putting in that rule. Now only those senior enough to know the dirt on the Execs get taken back on contract.
Seems like they heap one bullshit ignominy after another onto their staff hoping they'll quit before the next round of layoffs happen. The problem with that strategy is most of the people with actual skills leave and all they're left with are the poor bastards who can't go somewhere else. Then moral and efficiency goes down the toilet and the cycle repeats.
The problem with the workforce is that you have to keep on paying it. This is really quite tiresome, and it cuts into profits. However, sooner or (not much) later, IBM will have eliminated the workforce, thereby maximising profits.
I'm really quite glad I helped them with this endeavour 4+ years ago. (Hence anon.)
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Customers who bid out their managed services contracts and go with the lowest bidder will of course get the lowest quality service.
A lot of government contracts in the US require US based employees perform the work, both due to concerns over data loss but also because taxpayers generally want to see their tax dollars benefitting people in the US (or in the same state if it is for a state government) but because those people are more expensive providers try to get by with the absolute minimum headcount - meaning that if there's much attrition they're always behind since hiring takes much longer. So they end up getting the worst service of all.
Too bad there isn't a market for premium managed services where companies understand they will be paying more but can demand and receive best in class service. Many other markets have a premium segment, but managed services has been in a long term race to the bottom ever since the early 2000s.
I know Watson hasn't been the success that IBZm had hoped for, but it's streets ahead of Ginni on empathy, compassion and business strategy.
Admittedly, they haven't tried to train Watson on business strategy, but it does a good job at simulated coin tosses.
"It will only be balanced when 100% of the workforce is paid a pittance in some offshore sweatshop."
I'm not sure this is accurate. IBM don't care where workers are located as long as they are paid a pittance. They are an equal opportunity employer for cheap labour...
IBM management is being urged to "continue to investigate, apply and advertise subcontractor replacement were possible as one of the alternative approaches", the letter noted.
Won't be surprised if I get my marching orders, to be replaced by the permi who should have been picking up from me who sits on their arse most of the day doing who knows what
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