200+ people laid off in February.
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SAS eliminates more positions this week as part of its 2023 staff reduction plan
BY BRIAN GORDON UPDATED SEPTEMBER 28, 2023 8:02 PM
This summer, the prominent Cary analytics firm SAS Institute announced plans to reduce its workforce by around 1% before the end of the year. Following a number of job cuts in July, the software company eliminated more positions this week. Sources familiar with the reductions said cuts were concentrated in the company’s professional services division, known as PSD, which helps educate customers on how to most effectively use SAS software.
SAS declined to add new perspective on this week’s cuts or share how many positions were affected. “Please refer to the statement we shared with you previously,” company spokesperson Shannon Heath said in an email. “We addressed our plans in that message.” In the previous email, sent on July 14, Heath wrote, “Evolving our organizational structure and aligning the right talent to our core focus areas is always a priority for SAS. We explained earlier this year that as part of our normal business processes, we have been slowly shifting some divisional structures to better align with our corporate priorities.” As of last September, SAS had around 12,000 employees globally. Employees whose positions were eliminated had the opportunity to apply for other roles within the company, Heath said.
PUTTING RESOURCES INTO AI
SAS was founded in 1976 by North Carolina State University students John Sall and the company’s current CEO, Jim Goodnight. Under Goodnight, SAS become one of the world’s largest private software providers, surpassing $3 billion in annual revenue. Last year, SAS counted around 90% of Fortune 100 companies or their affiliates as customers. But the company’s growth has flattened. In 2017, SAS generated $3.24 billion in revenue; in its 2022 annual report, the company said it “continues to record more than $3 billion in annual sales.”
One way SAS seeks to boost revenue is by expanding into artificial intelligence. In May, the company pledged $1 billion over the next three years to develop services for its AI-backed analytics engine, SAS Viya. Earlier this month, at the annual SAS Explore conference in Las Vegas, company executives introduced multiple upcoming AI-powered services, including an app developer (App Factory), a model-building platform (Workbench), and a generative AI feature that’s being developed in a partnership with Microsoft.
STAFF REDUCTIONS STARTED BEFORE 2023
At the beginning of 2023, SAS employed around 4,000 people in the Triangle area according to Wake County Economic Development. However, even before this year’s layoffs, SAS had been shrinking its workforce. The company laid off workers in 2021. In January, Heath told The News & Observer that “over the years through natural attrition and conservative hiring, our headcount has gone down incrementally.” She added others left after taking voluntary buyouts. This year’s cuts are occurring as SAS continues to eye going public. In 2021, Goodnight set a goal for SAS to reach the stock market within three years. However, earlier this month, the company told the N&O that unanticipated delays meant it is now more likely to IPO in 2025.
Another layoff
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Only one month severance pay? SAS's official termination policy says one month for the first year and accumulative weeks wrt to tenure length?
The majority of the 17 people laid off in education in March were 50+ yrs old, in senior level positions, with decades of tenure. Managers weren’t told ahead of time. See the pattern?
Another big layoff today in R&D. Testers laid off, Principal testers demoted but salary stays the same with no more increases. A lot of the laid off people are 50 or older. Laid off people have to be out of their offices today. One month severance and 6 months benefits This company has betrayed the employees that help build it.
"There are no retirement packages anymore.."
What is the source of that information?
There are no retirement packages anymore. It is rumored that the main owner complained that they cost him too much money. The severance is given as stated in the company termination policy.
Great place to work? It used to be until recently. The company has not been profitable for several years. The owner has tried his best to keep the company afloat without negatively impacting employees. But the current leadership in HR and R&D has gone astray from caring about employees. SAS has been laying off employees with tenure and high salaries in an attempt to become profitable again. They are screwing their employees that helped build the company.
My close friend is a Director and she says more layoff's are coming this week and next week. She didn't tell me any details on who or what division's are affected. Can anyone tell here what do the severance package's look like? Thanks
Their HR department took a sudden turn to wokeness a few years ago. Since then it’s like SAS has lost its soul.
If you trust this company good luck, it's a business and management looks out for itself. No different than any other. I imagined this was a place different from that but found out the hard way.
I work in the EDU division at SAS. We were told by upper management 9 EDU colleagues were cut. I personally know of about 15 or so right now.
Does anyone know what a severance package is?
Total bedlam down here today. Seems like these moves were in the makings for awhile even though the CEO just said no layoffs in January.
There is very little reasoning to who was laid off. Many who haven’t performed are still there. The roles affected are senior mid and entry. It seems like a rush to meet profitability for a quick acquisition. Can they IPO? Current customers aren’t excited about the solutions. Many companies want open source or newer solutions.
Sorry to hear about the layoffs from an ex-SAS employee.
Welcome SAS to what IBM has been doing for the last 30+ years!
Education layoffs @25% throughout North America. Sales and Tech Support rumored to be next.
A bloodbath in education today. Managers not even notified beforehand of people on their teams being let go. Many people with decades of service let go.
My friend in the Education Division got laid off today. She never saw it coming so she's very upset.
Small group was eliminated from my department too. ordered to cut the bottom performing 10% maybe?
Hearing of at least ~5-6 people being let go today in my small world. Have to imagine it's much bigger than that.
Layoffs based on division or roles? This is SAS! Regular business logic doesn't apply here.
Most likely, they were targeted based on internal enemies lists, taken to HR, and given the 'take the hush money and leave' or 'take your chances and waive the hush money' notice.
Only the most obsequious shall remain.
Of course this is done before the "bonus" payout. They have to free up funds to keep up appearances with the plebes regarding 'bonuses' and 'promotions'. You can't ki-l all their hope, or else they'll get wise, leave, and actually develop their careers.
The hush money thing is a joke. From what I understand, the salon stylists in the area are quite informed of current events at SAS, hush money agreement or not.
any details on division, roles, etc.? were they paid out to guarantee their silence or just cut loose prior to bonus payouts?
could be good or bad depending on the reasons for the layoffs.