Layoffs have been reported at IBM facilities nationwide and in Canada today, and at least one long-time IBM Rochester employee told the Post-Bulletin this morning that layoffs are under way here as well.
The employee, who asked that his name not be published, said he was informed 10 minutes after arriving for work today that his job will be eliminated. He was offered what he called the standard IBM severance package of one week of pay per six months of service, up to 26 weeks.
"I can tell you this seems to be" part of a larger job reduction, he said. "A fair number of people in the area I work in are affected," though some of those may be at plants elsewhere, he said.
Employees here were braced for the worst today, as were employees at other IBM sites. "There have been rumors for quite a while," especially after the company's poor first-quarter financial report, he said. "There were indications that actions would be taken."
