Thread regarding IBM layoffs

I can see evidence of some of the comments in this thread. Manager told me nothing is official - but start looking outside IBM - don't waste time on GOM. 25% thanks for heads up and 75% completely demoralizing. The fact he even said this to me - tells me it must be official and is fishing for a reaction (how should one react?). Complete 110% loyalty to manager & company for many years (12 hour days) and now it's as though he completely did a 180 turn and doesn't want to talk - seems a bit negative of the work I'm doing (even though for the past 4 iterations has been delighted) - almost as though March has been a set up for failure. What's sad is that I have been a high performer my whole career of 10+ years and just got a great GDP this month. With the exception of the pandemic - this is probably the second worst time in the last few decades to look for work in the tech industry where everyone is chasing the same job. And leaving with a glowing letter of recommendation seems out of the question due to the sudden change in his attitude. I wish all the best to those in similar situations.

The company is severely understaffed from a perspective of people actually making money for the company. There are still plenty of people that should be laid off… starting with management and other non-client facing people.

Glad to see that nothing came of this post. Food for thought: March 31 is a Friday and if they notify on March 1, it would A) fulfill the 30 days requirement, B) would make last day Friday, C) would nicely wrap up right before the end of Q1.
Strictly speaking, the company is already severely understaffed, good luck making the cuts!

This site has proven to be right enough times that I keep coming back to it and I have no intention of stopping. I've been reading it for years and I know by now how to recognize trolls and how to find genuine info (pay attention to engagement, for example). Every anonymous site will have its share of issues and trolls - that's the price you pay for being able to say whatever you want about the company without anybody having a way of determining who you are.

The same layoff poster posts this similar post every month and replies to their own post with more details. They pick the 3rd or 4th Thursday as the day each month. This site makes its money off ads, as such it needs posts to make people come here, fake ones included. This site is last place for any reputable info

This is pure speculation on my part, but I expect the 10% Jan identification was for non-performance measured jobs. (coders, designers, architects, etc etc). If you add in the already announced 3900 jobs previously announced, you are very close to 15% head count in the non-performance measured job titles. The performance measured jobs (sales, consulting billable hours, TSS utilization, etc etc) can be any number you want, and I expect 15% to be the cut line

Another BS layoff post. How about if these posts could include some concrete info or don't share at all.

So since this prognostication didn't pan out, what's the new date? End of March?

The timeline may be off. But be aware that managers in 3 geos (one of them NA) are being asked to take a 1hr training to understand the separation process (which signals that this time the RAs are significant). There have been discussions about picking the names. However the scope of the action has not being shared, but in January the ask was to identify 10% of the employees as low performers so that could be a clue.

The silence coming out of Northern Europe (high cost countries) tells you the 15% across the board was not true. I suspect the 15% is based on utilization and will apply only to performance based job functions. This implies IBM is pursuing a PIP policy

“ Sorry but not sorry ”
This comment alone should have clued readers to the fact this poster was a child. Enjoying giving stress to people.

Not one post today about any layoffs occurring.

What time of day about do they typically tell folks this sort of thing? Hopefully after lunch so if I get the news, I can just leave and not care lol

God I hope I get RA'd tomorrow. I need to be free of this toxic, dysfunctional, miserably excuse of a company.

fyi: Reddit post

https://www.reddit.com/r/IBM/comments/1195o0i/ra_is_coming/

Severance depends on what country you are in. Reddit says emails indicating that RA selections need to be submitted just went out today with a deadline for submissions on Feb 27 fwiw

IBM doesn’t pay a severance for tendering your notice. If they initiate your downsizing, then they will offer you 30 days and some health benefits. If you leave after they notified you of the job termination, you and your manager can come to terms. (IBM will most likely honor your severance) It’s far too disruptive for IBM to change course once the notices have been given. The same applies for trying to save someone else. Their name was selected 45-60 days ago so saving them is virtually impossible

Hi all, does anyone know if IBM offers a severance these days and what is it? I have been with IBM for about 20 years. Also, can an employee leave after 2 weeks after getting RA'd and get the severance?

I don't have a RA and not been given any notice or anything. But I know some colleagues in my team who have been told to look for jobs within IBM

I have a external job offer and am planning on leaving IBM anyway. So, I wondering if I should ask my manager to spare colleagues in my team slated for it and put my name on the list.

@2gcq, I will do the same stuff the following week(s)... It will not change anything in the end but at least I can make my manager's life a misery for the last time. Loving it!

I expect IBM will take their bad news in 1st Q as they want this behind them. If you get extended into April due to business circumstances so be it, but GDP payments, since only the top performers are participating will have zero influence. In 1993 IBM did this with an 8.9 billion dollar charge that was implemented over several quarters. They wanted the death by a 1000 cuts in wall streets eyes to be behind them.

Request to id candidates for RA's are now at the FL VP and Director level based on what I am hearing. Likely means 'the talk' will happen first half of March at earliest. - makes no sense since GDP payments will arrive in March too in most geos.
IBM cannot even do something we do regularly well anymore....

I think 2 or more distinct classes to consider:

1. The Nov/Dec "re-deployment". While I believe they DO want the internal requisitions filled - I also believe they, as per their playbook, over-re-deployed.

My manager is under intense scrutiny and reporting to upper on progress on all couple dozen he had to re-deploy. They WANT positions filled. They WANT re-deployment closed.

I somehow have at least one job pending screening or interviews and spend time re-training. That seems sufficient. So I also ensure that remains the case - but it's getting more difficult (though my manager He always encourages applying to even 25% match - so - sure).

So I believe re-deployment will continue to the end of, and end in March. Arvind can announced re-deployment a success and also contain the "new layoffs" (won't be tied to re-deployment) Q1.

So I anticipate (if not picked up) RA'd with no extra month end of March for this/my group. I think "safe" for anything earlier as long as perception is your're trying hard to get landed internally.

2. Other poor schmucks (like us all!) identified since then. Like the 3900 but may be others too. These I could see in advance of the re-deployed.

Thus:

Since IBM RA typically is 30 days to find a job internally I kinda anticipate the non-re-deployed to be RA'd by end of February, have March to find a GOM job (good luck), for final day end of March same as re-deployed.

Then "separation" payment would be 30 days April for those that sign.
All of course written off / charged against Q1.

Strategy:

• - ALL should work through all the "leaving IBM" collateral and worksheets in w3 and Fidelity.
• - Re-deployed - keep scouring GOM and applying and looking active - even if you've already found an outside job
• - Others - be working hard (already!) on external job

It generally takes me 3 months to find a new job - and it's a far more difficult market right now.

@2pmp so you've got the short term nicely covered but have you thought about what to do for next week? :-)

I am planning to take Thursday and Friday off… so, good luck to my manager. I no longer get IBM e-mails on my IBM phone, and Slack has been removed. I also blocked my manager’s phone number. It is going to be fun!!

The only way for IBM to reach the FCF numbers it announced is to keep on layoffs... So, IBM will keep on laying off... mostly in the US and in Europe where the people make more.
It is only a number game, nothing else. Get your resumes ready.

We just wrapped the conical. HR instructing strict stealth on this one. No invites for "A Short Discussion" sent at 6:10 pm the prior day. You will simply get a chat/tap on the shoulder from FLM " got a minute to talk". They will read you a 3 minute script Ask if you have any questions Will deflect and answer none with the standard more info to follow in email from your HR partner. Who btw is basically your manager now. So don't miss your last chance to let flm know how you really feel about them Good luck

Have these kind of posts ever been true? If so, please point me to one.

It's coming, but I highly doubt this Thursday. More likely towards the end of March.

Were you hearing this information? Want to know if I’m gonna be involved in it (wouldn’t be surprised given they told me back in November about redeployment)

Any ideas on organizations targeted?

Yep its a big one and I'm gonna slap Arvind in the head with it

Source: Just trust me bro

The numbers certainly seem to be aligning. First IBM announces a 300 million dollar charge for a 3900 head count reduction due to excessive Kyndryl and Watson health overhead. That equates to 13000 heads per billion spent which essentially sets the parameters IBM is operating under in the USA and Northern Europe. NOTE the numbers will be different in Low cost countries. Second IBM said during the 4th q earnings call that they are still holding to 35 billion in free cash flow over their previously announced 3 year window. The first year window was 9.3 billion actual, so IBM has to do 25.7 this year and next. Third IBM announced this years free cash flow target = 10.5 billion, or 9.3 +10.5 = 19.8 over 2 years which leaves 15.2 billion for next year. We can also estimate growth from IBM’s announcement 10.5 - 9.3 = 1.2 billion in growth year to year which is 13%. So 10.5 x 1.13 % growth says next year will achieve 11.85 billion. Net net = 9.3 + 10.5 + 11.85 = 31.65 or 3.35 billion short of the 3 year FCF goal of 35 billion. Now let’s take the rumor of a 15% cut on an IBM announced 260k head count = 39K. Given IBM’s 1 billion savings per 13k heads if all heads were in USA and Northern Europe, results in a 3 billion dollar savings per year. If the numbers were applied closer to a 60/40 split (high cost countries vs Low cost countries) we would be looking at an approx 1.8 billion savings per year or 3.2 - 3.6 billion savings over 2023 and 2024. So the numbers seem to align

ibm is dead. it doesn't matter anymore

Please pick me, I am fu----g tired to work for this id--tic company.

Welcome to 1993 215k headcount on 62 billion of revenue. What’s old is new again The big difference will be IBM NA and Northern Europe will only comprise of 1/3 of the IBM worldwide population or approx 70-75k

50% by 2030 for NA. Project Code +91

correct its 20%

Nah