Microsoft Lays off 800

Seattle: Microsoft is going to sack at least 800 emoployees across its operations, on top of the 5,000 jobs it already eliminated under a plan to reduce costs that was announced in January. A spokesman for the software giant said that the latest job cuts are spread across the company's global operations, but about 200 are in and around its headquarters in Redmond, Washington.


According to Reuters, Microsoft originally had planned to cut 5,000 jobs, or about five percent out of 96,000, before June 2010. The Microsoft Spokesman said that the plan has been expanded with the new layoffs and is now complete, well ahead of schedule.

As of October 23, Microsoft had 91,005 employees worldwide, according to its website.

Google better than Microsoft say students

Bangalore: Google is more attractive employer than Microsoft according to the first global index of employer attractiveness by Universum. Google tops the list of Global Top 50 Business and the Global Top 50 Engineering employer. As compared to Google, Microsoft is on the third position on the Global Top 50 Business for attractive employers. After Google, PricewaterhouseCoopers is on the second spot in the Global Top 50 Engineering employers list.



Universum's global index of employer attractiveness is designed to assess the world's most powerful employer brands. Google is, by far, the ideal company to work for according to 120,000 students from top academic institutions worldwide. The positions occupied by the Google and Microsoft are clear indications of their success related to talent attraction and retention.

"These companies in the Top 50 really work with employer branding strategically. The Big Four, for example, are all in the top 10 business ranking, as they have employer branding as part of their business strategy. Many associate their corporate brands to people. This is normal for the service industry, but it's a new approach for other companies. These companies are in the Top 50 because they are focused, consistent and differentiate themselves in their communication." said Michal Kalinowski, CEO of Universum to Softpedia.

Students from U.S., Japan, China, Germany, France, UK, Italy, Russia, Spain, Canada, and India have helped define the world's top 50 most attractive employers, Universum explained. In this regard, the list with the best employers to work for emphasizes the globalization of the talent market. Google, Microsoft and IBM are, in this context, attractive employers because students are aiming for an international career with multinational companies capable of offering secure employment.

But what can be other reasons to be attracted more towards Google. Here are few good reason: The campus in Mountain View strictly follows the company's founders, Sergei Brin and Larry Page, orders that food (it's free) should not be away more than 150 feet from the employees. So, Google runs 11 free gourmet cafeterias and scores of snack rooms, which contain cereals, candy, nuts, yogurt, carrots, fresh fruit and other snacks, and dozens of drinks, including soda and make-your-own cappuccino.

If an employee wants to buy a hybrid car, Google pays up to $5,000 to the employee for environmentally friendly effort. If employee has a baby, Google pays $500 to buy baby stuff. Drop off laundry and get it dry cleaned for free. Get onsite free massage and haircut, and an oil change or wash for the car. Work is such a cosy place that it's difficult for Google employees to leave office.

Microsoft to cut 1% Workforce in India

Software giant Microsoft announced its plans to cut 1% of its Indian staff as its net income declined 11% during the December quarter because of worldwide economic slowdown.

The declaration on this is part of the Redmond-based company's decision taken during January 2009 to slash around 5,000 jobs worldwide by June 2010 in order to save up to $700 million (Rs 3,500 crore).

The job cuts in India are part of the second round.

In India, the company's decision will impact around 55 people across Microsoft's six-business divisions spread across Bangalore, Delhi and Hyderabad.

In a major declaration, the company said, "Due to a global realignment of our business priorities, about one percent of the net rolls across India are likely to be impacted. These adjustments reflect the necessary changes to ensure that the right resources are focused on the right priorities."

When asked to give detailed information, the company's spokesperson declined to comment saying "We are currently working with the concerned employees to evaluate alternative positions internally and where applicable look at mutually favourable disengagement terms."

In a 10-Q filing to the Securities Exchange Commission on April 23, Microsoft said that it had reserved around Rs 1,200 crore for severance for 3,400 laid-off employees, "all of whom are expected to leave the company by June 30, 2010".

By: News

Senator wants Foreigners to be laid off first

Washington: An influential senator has asked U.S. companies to make efforts to fire foreign workers first while making lay-offs during the current economic downturn - a move that could affect thousands of Indian professionals.In a letter to Microsoft, which employs thousands of people through the H-1B visa programme, a majority of them Indians, senator Chuck Grassley urged the IT giant to make efforts to retain qualified American workers during its recently announced lay-offs.

Noting that last year, Microsoft had advocated for more H-1B visas in the US Congress, he said the purpose of the H-1B programme for professionals in "specialty occupation" is to help companies hire foreign guest workers on a temporary basis when there is not a sufficient qualified American workforce to meet those needs, he said.

However, the programme is not intended to replace qualified American workers, Grassley said asking questions of both American and foreign based companies about their use of the H-1B visa programme. A majority of the 60,000 professionals given H-1B visa every year are from India.

In his letter reacting to Microsoft Corporation's reported move to layoff 5,000 jobs over the next 18 months, Grassley expressed concern "that Microsoft will be retaining foreign guest workers rather than similarly qualified American employees when it implements its layoff plan"."As you know, I want to make sure employers recruit qualified American workers first before hiring foreign guest workers," he told Microsoft Chief Executive Steve Ballmer.

It is imperative that in implementing its layoff plan, Microsoft ensures that American workers have priority in keeping their jobs over foreign workers on visa programmes, Grassley said."

My point is that during a layoff, companies should not be retaining H-1B or other work visa programme employees over qualified American workers," he said."Our immigration policy is not intended to harm the American workforce.

I encourage Microsoft to ensure that Americans are given priority in job retention.""Microsoft has a moral obligation to protect these American workers by putting them first during these difficult economic times," he said.Microsoft spokesperson in a statement said: "We care about all our employees, so we are providing services and support to try to help every affected worker, whether they are US workers or foreign nationals working in this country on a visa."

Microsoft: First Time Drop in Revenues

Microsoft reported a drop in quarterly revenues for the first time in the 23 years since it went public.
But investors still gave the world largest software company their approval, sending Microsoft shares higher in after-market trading as its aggressive cost cutting measures preserved profitability.
The Seattle-based company said its revenues dropped 6 per cent to $13.7 billion, compared to the year-ago quarter. Profits of $3 billion represented a 32-per cent drop from the $4.4 billion it earned in the same period last year.
The company has been hit hard by a drop in consumer spending, with people delaying or canceling purchases of new computers. Sales of Microsoft's Windows operating system were down for only the second time in history, but Microsoft said it saw signs that the worst may be over.
"While market conditions remained weak during the quarter, I was pleased with the organisation's ability to offset revenue pressures with the swift implementation of cost-savings initiatives," Microsoft chief financial officer Chris Liddell said.
"We expect the weakness to continue through at least the next quarter."

Microsoft Corp Senator asks to retain US Jobs

According to Reuters: “A U.S. senator has asked Microsoft Corp about its plans to slash up to 5,000 jobs, urging the world’s biggest software company to preserve the jobs of Americans ahead of foreigners working on visas.”

“The letter asked Microsoft Chief Executive Steve Ballmer to provide a breakdown of the jobs to be eliminated, and how many of those are individuals with H-1B visas and how many are Americans. Grassley also wants to know what the breakdown will be when the layoffs are complete.”

“I am concerned that Microsoft will be retaining foreign guest workers rather than similarly qualified American employees when it implements its layoff plan [...] Microsoft has a moral obligation to protect these American workers by putting them first during these difficult economic times”, said Sen. Charles Grassley, an Iowa Republican.

Top Companies Sponsoring H1B

Microsoft: 4,437
Satyam: 4,236
Fujitsu: 2,291
Patni: 2,166
Infosys: 1,586
IBM:1,413
L&T:1,374
Intel:1,340
Ernst Young: 1,182
Qualcomm: 1,139
TCS:1,132
Enteprise Business Solutions: 1,035
Oracle: 974
Deloitte: 930
Marlabs: 934
Xceltech: 899
Multivision: 863
Rite Aid: 802
Goldman Sachs: 767
Wipro: 760

H-1B visa holders to get pink slips at Microsoft

Microsoft, which has recently announced shedding some 5,000 jobs, will be giving pink slips to H-1B visa holders too, despite acknowledging that this category of workers has a significant contribution to the company's success.

Microsoft, in a letter to Senator Charles Grassley, has said the H-1B work visa programme helped hire the best available talent of the world.

The present Microsoft line can be seen in the context of the policies of the Obama regime, which gives preference to companies hiring Americans in giving bail-out.

H1-B employees have always accounted for less than 15 per cent of Microsoft's US workforce, the level that is used in immigration law to determine whether a company is "H-1B dependent," the letter said.

Answering a specific question from the Senator on H-1B people losing their jobs, Microsoft said: "Workers on H-1B visas and other temporary work visas make up only a small percentage of our overall workforce, but they were also among the employees impacted by the reductions announced in January. Employees outside the United States were also impacted."