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Indian IT, “You're Fired”

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Re: Indian IT, “You're Fired”

#21

Post by LordKano »

aNoob7000 wrote: post #3
jussij wrote: post #2

From the page: At the meeting, Mr. Sikka also described how the company “released 11,000 jobs due to automation.” Many small shareholders appealed to the board to consider the “human cost” of layoffs in the software sector. That quote made me chuckle, since I have witnessed first hand the IT industry in the West face massive job cuts through Out Sourcing and that has been going on for decades now. Now I don't blame O…

I agree with your comment. The author seems taken back by the callousness of the cuts, but this is nothing new in the United States or even in other western countries. I think Indian IT firms have gotten a free ride for many years using labor arbitrage. Now that there's a whiff of protectionism in the air from the United States and cloud computing is surging things aren't so easy anymore.

How many storied have we heard, or lived through, of people being forced to train their Indian replacements in order to receive severance?

Re: Indian IT, “You're Fired”

#22

Post by LordKano »

nailer wrote: post #13

As someone who worked for a team at IBM where we were forced to train our replacements in India, it seems odd that anyone in outsourcing would be surprised when those roles are further reduced by automation with little regard for the wellbeing of employees.

Stories like yours were my first thought when I saw this.

Re: Indian IT, “You're Fired”

#23

Post by [deleted] »

mabbo wrote: post #15

I've never understood the ways that modern companies handle layoffs- call people into a meeting room one by one, tell them they're being let go, then escort them out of the building. It's not just that it's cold, but it builds a huge cloud of oppression for everyone else. I just watched this happen to a friend, and the guy who was sitting next to him is now saying "I could be next, better start talking to recruiters"…

[deleted]

Re: Indian IT, “You're Fired”

#24

Post by kemiller2002 »

mabbo wrote: post #15

I've never understood the ways that modern companies handle layoffs- call people into a meeting room one by one, tell them they're being let go, then escort them out of the building. It's not just that it's cold, but it builds a huge cloud of oppression for everyone else. I just watched this happen to a friend, and the guy who was sitting next to him is now saying "I could be next, better start talking to recruiters"…

There are some valid reasons for it. It's sad the way that it happens, but I've been there on occasion where they didn't do that. One stats guy decided he was angry that it happened . . . . he started deleting all the loss curve data we needed off of the network. There was a hurry to stop him which resulted in the network staff having to unplug all the cables from the routers. Hours of having to put the cable back in and who know how much work was lost.

Re: Indian IT, “You're Fired”

#25

Post by fellellor »

planetjones wrote: post #14

I don't agree with a lot of what Western companies have done regarding sending IT work to India en masse. However, there is a real human cost now of the lay offs. I believe many Indians have taken out bank loans to buy property and there is no safety net in place for employees who are sacked with no notice. So they are at risk of losing their home and the health benefits (for the whole family I believe) is tied to th…

Cost saving always gives me a laugh when you take into account the CEO salaries being 1000 times more than someone with 5-6 years experience.

Re: Indian IT, “You're Fired”

#26

Post by TheAdamAndChe »

peternicky wrote: post #20
planetjones wrote: post #14

I don't agree with a lot of what Western companies have done regarding sending IT work to India en masse. However, there is a real human cost now of the lay offs. I believe many Indians have taken out bank loans to buy property and there is no safety net in place for employees who are sacked with no notice. So they are at risk of losing their home and the health benefits (for the whole family I believe) is tied to th…

Unfortunately most businesses operate to enhance shareholder value, not the broader social good. It's a sad day when people loose jobs, especially in a a callus manner described by the post, however, it is silly when these workers are surprised by this. It is simply a progression of their local economy.

This behavior is exactly why protectionism is on the rise in America. The economy has "improved" massively, yet few are reaping the benefits and most Americans are seeing a decline in quality of life. Protectionism would lower the labor pool available to companies, meaning workers would have more leverage and better pay, but at the expense of corporate profits.

Lots of economists say that protectionism is a net negative to our country, but I think they may have failed to consider the effects of capital concentration causing only a few cities and states in the country to actually benefit from globalization.

Re: Indian IT, “You're Fired”

#27

Post by fellellor »

peternicky wrote: post #20
planetjones wrote: post #14

I don't agree with a lot of what Western companies have done regarding sending IT work to India en masse. However, there is a real human cost now of the lay offs. I believe many Indians have taken out bank loans to buy property and there is no safety net in place for employees who are sacked with no notice. So they are at risk of losing their home and the health benefits (for the whole family I believe) is tied to th…

Unfortunately most businesses operate to enhance shareholder value, not the broader social good. It's a sad day when people loose jobs, especially in a a callus manner described by the post, however, it is silly when these workers are surprised by this. It is simply a progression of their local economy.

Almost all of India's big IT shops make most of their money in the western economies. So it is the global economy that has progressed while the sector chiefs and the media patted themselves on the back, calling India an "IT Superpower".

Re: Indian IT, “You're Fired”

#28

Post by pc86 »

mabbo wrote: post #15

I've never understood the ways that modern companies handle layoffs- call people into a meeting room one by one, tell them they're being let go, then escort them out of the building. It's not just that it's cold, but it builds a huge cloud of oppression for everyone else. I just watched this happen to a friend, and the guy who was sitting next to him is now saying "I could be next, better start talking to recruiters"…

Someone is losing their job unexpectedly. Nearly everyone spends too much of their income and saves too little for retirement/emergencies, so losing your job unexpectedly can have devastating financial consequences. Even bouncing back and finding another job could set your retirement back years if it doesn't happen quickly enough, and ruin your credit if you don't have appropriate savings.

I don't think there's a way to make it "more human." The opposite extreme of your scenario is bringing everyone (either on site, or everyone getting laid off) into a room and break the news in one shot. I've had coworkers who have been laid off in the "put everyone in a room" way. 60 people told at the same time their position had been eliminated, leave their badge at the door on the way out. That's not any less cold. I'd argue individually telling folks is better. It lets people have an emotional reaction if they need to, and not have to worry about the other dozens of people around them.

If you need to lay off many people at once, there is no good way to do it.

Re: Indian IT, “You're Fired”

#29

Post by pc86 »

kemiller2002 wrote: post #24
mabbo wrote: post #15

I've never understood the ways that modern companies handle layoffs- call people into a meeting room one by one, tell them they're being let go, then escort them out of the building. It's not just that it's cold, but it builds a huge cloud of oppression for everyone else. I just watched this happen to a friend, and the guy who was sitting next to him is now saying "I could be next, better start talking to recruiters"…

There are some valid reasons for it. It's sad the way that it happens, but I've been there on occasion where they didn't do that. One stats guy decided he was angry that it happened . . . . he started deleting all the loss curve data we needed off of the network. There was a hurry to stop him which resulted in the network staff having to unplug all the cables from the routers. Hours of having to put the cable back in…

No amount of anger justifies that kind of behavior. If that's not criminal, it should be.

Re: Indian IT, “You're Fired”

#30

Post by enraged_camel »

kemiller2002 wrote: post #24
mabbo wrote: post #15

I've never understood the ways that modern companies handle layoffs- call people into a meeting room one by one, tell them they're being let go, then escort them out of the building. It's not just that it's cold, but it builds a huge cloud of oppression for everyone else. I just watched this happen to a friend, and the guy who was sitting next to him is now saying "I could be next, better start talking to recruiters"…

There are some valid reasons for it. It's sad the way that it happens, but I've been there on occasion where they didn't do that. One stats guy decided he was angry that it happened . . . . he started deleting all the loss curve data we needed off of the network. There was a hurry to stop him which resulted in the network staff having to unplug all the cables from the routers. Hours of having to put the cable back in…

What you need to do immediately before informing an employee that you are letting them go is revoke their access to critical systems and/or disable their accounts. That way, you can allow them to go back to their desk and say their goodbyes to their coworkers without risking them doing silly stuff like delete data.
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