Reply to post: Here's how it works

Here's how it works

I got my marching orders in this round and here's how it works:

It's framed as a 'proposal' for your job to go - there is no longer a requirement for xxxx position. The wording of 'proposal' is important.

You then have 5 days to submit a counter defence stating why your position should be retained (why you should keep your job)

No one will read it except maybe your manager who will agree with your points and who will then send it along... My manager was honest about the whole thing - he's had people produce extensive documentation, charts etc and it's all for nothing.

If you don't submit a written defence for your position to be retained, it's determined that you have 'accepted and agreed' to the proposal.

Then the following week, you receive a confirmation letter stating that the proposal has been 'confirmed' and accepted.

You then have 30 days to find another job in IBM - well nigh impossible because the managers are told layoffs are coming and they remove the advertisements for any in-house positions until the layoffs have been completed. I had noticed the pattern before (jobs disappearing from the internal job site just before the layoffs) and a previous manager confirmed my suspicions.

Your end date is usually 2 months after the confirmation meeting and email is provided - this is in the hope that you are so desperate to get another job you'll take anything and then have to resign. Resigning before your due departure date means the redundancy no longer applies and it's treated as if you had resigned normally.

IBM also engages a third party to provide training on soft skills (interview skills, CV writing etc) as part of your exit but you are still expected to do your normal day to day work and being in small already overworked teams it makes it extremely difficult for you and your soon to be former colleagues. I can't comment on the 3rd party as yet as I was too busy today trying to sort out a high severity incident caused by an offshore team to answer their call.