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IBM orders US sales to locate near customers, RTO for cloud staff, DEI purge

theregister.com

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Re: IBM orders US sales to locate near customers, RTO for cloud staff, DEI purge

#21

Post by hn_throwaway_99 »

I am curious if anyone can find the text for "IBM's Policy Letter #4" written by IBM's chairman in 1953, which is referenced in this article. I did some searching but all the links I found to the full text were broken.

I ask because I think it shows what a Rorschach test the arguments over DEI have become. I at least found one quote from the Policy Letter #4 which stated "It is the policy of this organization to hire people who have the personality, talent and background necessary to fill a given job, regardless of race, color or creed." Of course, in 1953 that was a pretty bold stance given the widespread official segregation policies in the Southern US at the time. Now, though, it feel like how you view that statement depends on which "tribe" you align with in the DEI debate: Anti-DEI folks say "Exactly, we want to hire people based on merit regardless of race, color or creed, and DEI has basically turned into a policy of racial quotas" while pro-DEI folks say "The policy back then was to fight official and systemic racism, which we still need to combat today."

So I'd just like to find the full original policy document so I can make up my own mind.

Re: IBM orders US sales to locate near customers, RTO for cloud staff, DEI purge

#23

Post by rdtsc »

panzagl wrote: post #13

You know, even if you hired a protected class because of DEI fashion, that doesn't mean you can fire them just because the fashion has changed. The laws protecting them are still there, and I would think announcing "we're getting rid of DEI hires" would be giving a labor lawyer a discrimination case on a plate.

They would just say you’re reassigned to the Alaska office. You’re expected to work there 3 days a week starting October or something. See, they didn’t fire them! They just resigned under their own accord. /s

Re: IBM orders US sales to locate near customers, RTO for cloud staff, DEI purge

#24

Post by MisterBastahrd »

givemeethekeys wrote: post #4

The general reasoning given by a lot of these companies is that WFH did not work. Same companies were telling is how well it worked and they had the numbers to back it up. I think they are looking for scapegoats for some cost cutting. Officially force people back and hopefully some will quit. In practice, many will continue to operate as before.

They're bending the knee. The CEO class loves their own freedom to move about at will but hates the idea that workers have the right to just NOT be in the office. Trump, Musk, and Ramiswamy were all ultra-gung ho about ensuring that as many people with federal jobs were as miserable as possible.

Re: IBM orders US sales to locate near customers, RTO for cloud staff, DEI purge

#25

Post by bufferoverflow »

rdtsc wrote: post #23
panzagl wrote: post #13

You know, even if you hired a protected class because of DEI fashion, that doesn't mean you can fire them just because the fashion has changed. The laws protecting them are still there, and I would think announcing "we're getting rid of DEI hires" would be giving a labor lawyer a discrimination case on a plate.

They would just say you’re reassigned to the Alaska office. You’re expected to work there 3 days a week starting October or something. See, they didn’t fire them! They just resigned under their own accord. /s

No, that would be constructive dismissal.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constructive_dismissal

Re: IBM orders US sales to locate near customers, RTO for cloud staff, DEI purge

#26

Post by easterncalculus »

hn_throwaway_99 wrote: post #21

I am curious if anyone can find the text for "IBM's Policy Letter #4" written by IBM's chairman in 1953, which is referenced in this article. I did some searching but all the links I found to the full text were broken. I ask because I think it shows what a Rorschach test the arguments over DEI have become. I at least found one quote from the Policy Letter #4 which stated "It is the policy of this organization to hire…

[flagged]

Re: IBM orders US sales to locate near customers, RTO for cloud staff, DEI purge

#27

Post by nikanj »

panzagl wrote: post #13

You know, even if you hired a protected class because of DEI fashion, that doesn't mean you can fire them just because the fashion has changed. The laws protecting them are still there, and I would think announcing "we're getting rid of DEI hires" would be giving a labor lawyer a discrimination case on a plate.

The laws are still there, but who enforces the laws at this point?

Re: IBM orders US sales to locate near customers, RTO for cloud staff, DEI purge

#29

Post by MyPasswordSucks »

hn_throwaway_99 wrote: post #21

I am curious if anyone can find the text for "IBM's Policy Letter #4" written by IBM's chairman in 1953, which is referenced in this article. I did some searching but all the links I found to the full text were broken. I ask because I think it shows what a Rorschach test the arguments over DEI have become. I at least found one quote from the Policy Letter #4 which stated "It is the policy of this organization to hire…

> I am curious if anyone can find the text for "IBM's Policy Letter #4" written by IBM's chairman in 1953, which is referenced in this article.

https://web.archive.org/web/20110409171021/http://www-03.ibm...

It has both the original typewritten scan and a searchable-text version right underneath.

Re: IBM orders US sales to locate near customers, RTO for cloud staff, DEI purge

#30

Post by rdtsc »

bufferoverflow wrote: post #25
rdtsc wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They would just say you’re reassigned to the Alaska office. You’re expected to work there 3 days a week starting October or something. See, they didn’t fire them! They just resigned under their own accord. /s

No, that would be constructive dismissal. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constructive_dismissal

> The burden of proof in constructive dismissal cases lies with the employee.

The only practical way is if somehow an executive breaks ranks and exposes some list or email or private conversation where he they were planning this.

A harder way is some coordinating action from employees. All get together to figure out the patterns.

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