Thread regarding IBM layoffs

So did anyone actually receive the "RTO or else" order today? Or is this just another debunked rumor?

There is absolutely no innovation happening here. Just getting a paycheck. Horrible management. They buy a company here and there and get some new markets. Execs take big bonuses. It's dead. Don't come work here.

Think long and hard before agreeing to relocate. For many years IBM has asked people to relocate then 6-9 months after they moved RAed them anyway. Why? IBM doesn't want you to relocate they just want you gone.

Does anyone know how they track compliance?

So if I just say I'm relocating and then not, how long would they take to figure it out

With an 80-85% attrition rate for those impacted, IBM knows exactly what they are trying to accomplish. Lower 1st world head count, mostly as it applies to legacy SW. NOTE the recent IBM purchases (redhat 30 billion, Apptio 5 billion, and HashiCorp 6.5 billion) have been accommodated as San Jose and RTP are two of the golden ticket locations. I suspect Lowell is mostly for IBM legacy SW and Austin is for speciality partnerships (SAP, Oracle, and Power ISV’s) Everything else is disposable

Setting aside the obvious disruptions to the staff, what exactly does IBM hope to achieve in all this? It can't just be a desire to get rid of employees, because there are cleaner, cheaper and more efficient ways to dismiss people. It can't be physical collaboration...software people know more than anyone else about the benefits of remote work. Is it some desire by the real estate department to fill unused space? (It's unlikely to work.) All of the above? It's a move of desperation, no matter what the reasons are...IBM is the last company anyone would give a chance by relocation, certainly not by the rank-and-file (either employees or non-letter band managers).

I left IBM on April 1 under the US Exec and Manager version of RTO... four months short of 40 years with the company. I was fully remote since 2006... and a manager the entire time. I was even promoted to 2nd line Mgr while fully remote and I was given retention awards in each of the last two years (stock given 25% per year over four years.... an incentive to stay with IBM!). Remote work sure seemed to be working out ok.

On March 1 I was told that I had 30 days to decide... relocate or resign. "Face to face is where the magic happens", I heard one exec say. I was given four cities from which to choose.. none of which housed any of my reports. I had no "faces" to face. Silly.

Rest assured that the stated purpose of this program ("face to face work is better") is not the actual purpose ("we want you to leave"). This is an RA, but with an offramp.

What a company.

Rob Thomas has been on the strategic site collocation train since 2016. This is no surprise. In late 2016/early 2017 as GM of Data and AI he was told he could no longer push collocation due to a pending lawsuit. Before that resolved he changed roles, then Covid hit and then he was in Sales. When he came back to Software last year anyone in the inner circle knew that collocation to strategic sites was coming. This is US only to start.

If you tell them you're moving you have to sign a hefty relocation agreement and engage with a 3rd party mobility vendor associate who will start delving into your life and requirements. If you breach, you have to pay them back a huge (ambiguous) sum. You can't just tell them you're moving and plan on working through that 6 mo period without substantial penalty / oversight.

Get out asap!!! IBM is a prison

At this point....I HOPE I get a separation package. This place is ki-ling spirit.

Co-location term isn’t new. Marketing went through it back in 2016-2018. Co-locate to strategic location or consider yourself voluntarily resigned.

Correction to comment above

Security services is under consulting and well security products (sw) is under software.

RTO is 3 days people.

Is this US only?

Security is part of Consulting now. They have not been under Software for a while. The question remains if the manager RTO is trickling down in Software and also Consulting for employees

Full time RTO or 3 days per week?

Security is part of the Software org. Other BUs include Data & AI, Automation, Z Software, Support and SRE, Design, and all Prod Mgmt teams aligned with those. If you report up to Dinesh or Kareem then you’re Software.

My manager informed me that Security will also be required to RTO (excuse me, I mean "co-locate").

Any word/speculation on whether Consulting will do this too??

Fine, I'll just TELL THEM that I'll be relocating, and then not show up in November. That way I'll get paid for SIX more months, rather than FOUR (2 months until separation if I resign, plus 2 month severance).

Only a mo--n would relocate for IBM, knowing that they can always RA you anyway next year.