Intel Lays Off Hundreds of Tech Admins (oregonlive.com)

Intel has reportedly laid off a number of information technology workers at sites across the company this week. Sources say the layoffs are numbered in the hundreds, but Intel has declined to specify how many people lost their jobs or describe the rationale for the cutbacks. OregonLive reports: The cuts took place at sites across the company, including Oregon, Intel's largest site with 20,000 workers. Cuts also took place at other Intel facilities in the United States and at a large administrative facility in Costa Rica, according to people familiar with the layoffs. Though Intel forecasts flat sales in 2019, people inside the company said this week's layoffs don't appear to be strictly a cost-cutting move. Rather, they said the cuts appeared to reflect a broad change in the way Intel is approaching its internal technical systems.

Information technology (IT) professionals don't usually develop new technology but they play an essential role in managing a company's internal systems. Their work is particularly important at tech companies such as Intel, which depend on IT workers to keep systems secure and running smoothly. This week's layoffs appear to be Intel's biggest cutbacks since 2016, when the company eliminated 15,000 jobs across the company through layoffs, buyouts and early retirement offers. "Changes in our workforce are driven by the needs and priorities of our business, which we continually evaluate. We are committed to treating all impacted employees with professionalism and respect," Intel said in a brief statement acknowledging the cuts to The Oregonian/OregonLive.

Intel isn't the only tech company laying off workers right now. A new report from The Mercury News reveals many Bay Area tech firms will be laying off about 1,200 jobs between now and Memorial Day. The layoffs are expected from SAP, Oracle America, PayPal, Instacart, Thin Film Electronics, and others.

Comments

Important lesson here

[SuperKendall]

If you can. be part of the company that makes something the company derives revenue from, not part of the team that is "overhead".

Re:Important lesson here

[GregMmm]

Depends on what you consider the "bottom" 10-20%. I worked for Intel for 15 years and it was always a changing system what the bottom people were. Let me explain:

First anyone who received a "below expectations" or lower on their yearly review, might as well go look for another job. This kind of action would happen every 2-3 years and if you had a low rating in the last 3-5 years, you were gone. No matter if you became the shinning star the next year. If one manager wanted to get rid of you that's all it took. Also you're black listed from Intel. Can't return ever. So this one was understood, but sucked.

Next, During an annual review process, an employee would receive pay increase and stock based off of their performance. Good managers would ask employees what they wanted, more pay or stock and would try and compensate their employees accordingly. Stock was given out in 5 different levels along with 5 levels of rating. (this varies over the years and if you were exempt or not) So a manager might give a lower level of stock to a good performer, and give them better pay bump. UNTIL, they announced a cut action, and it all of a sudden included anyone with stock level 4 or 5 (low end) in the last 3 years. No warning or nothing. Managers railed against this saying they never would have done this to people in their group, but too late. Those people were gone, no questions asked and unless you know the VP of HR or something, it was time to go.

That is one example of "bottom performers". I can't remember the "tools" Intel used to get rid of people, but there was others. Part of your job was to read the tea leaves and figure out where not to be and what not to do.

I personally was part of the 2016 cut backs. My site was shut down, and I had a couple of opportunities to move to JF in Oregon. I took the graceful bow out. I was in IT. I think I made the right call. No job is forever, and Intel will pay you well to go away. I never thought I would retire from Intel. Very few people made it past 20 years, not because of work, but because of stuff like this.

Re:Important lesson here

[jpaine619]

What are you talking about? What state has a law that says you can't discriminate against the unemployed? Nobody is getting around any laws.. They don't exist.. There are seven? protected classes in employment.. Gender, Race, Religion, etc.. Not a single one of them is "Employment Status". So I dunno why you are ranting about companies getting around employment laws..

Flat sales?

[quonset]

How can sales be flat in 2019 when they have a backlog of orders for their chips? Machines we ordered last year were just now delivered in the last few weeks, and we still haven't received all the items.

Re:Flat sales?

[CaptainDork]

There's the tell.

Re: Flat sales?

[radarskiy]

That's not artificial scarcity; that actual scarcity.

How many new hires in India?

[WillAffleckUW]

One hand takes away, another profits.

Re: How many new hires in India?

[WillAffleckUW]

News flash for you, we're not white in the US anymore. At least in the West.

But nice try.

Between Two Worlds

[SuperKendall]

I think being a DBA is a great position, not only because it is less cool so you can always get another position easily...

In terms of the topic under discussion, databases are always important to public facing function as well as internal stuff, so you are (I think) far less likely to get axed!

Outsourcing IT to India

[roc97007]

Betcha a dollar.

If so, I wish them the best of luck.

Oracle & EA just fired a whole bunch of those

[rsilvergun]

so yeah, not so sure that'll work.

For me, the lesson here is that you're never safe unless you're so rich and well connected that nothing touches you (think Donald Trump). In other words, if you're a working class stiff you're always under water.

RECESSION

[fluffernutter]

What happened to the awesome economy? Too bad wages never went up, and the recession is starting already.

They've got major supply issues right now

[rsilvergun]

because of problems with their foundry. It's especially funny/sad because of the famous "Real men own Fabs" line they throw at AMD when AMD got out of chip fabrication.

AMD is currently doing great because the chip fabricator that makes their chips didn't have any issues.

Re:They've got major supply issues right now

[radarskiy]

"AMD is currently doing great because the chip fabricator that makes their chips didn't have any issues."

The chip fabricator that makes AMD's chips gave up on 7nm last summer.

DaFuq is a tech admin?

[Snotnose]

Sounds like a secretary to me, or maybe a glorified secretary.

Been doing this shit for 40 years and have never run across a tech admin.

And why to have have to manually add page breaks to /. submissions? I don't have to anywhere else

Re:DaFuq is a tech admin?

[Highdude702]

go into options, and go to posting, and change it from html to plain ole text. then you can still use html tags but dont have to
  every line.

Re:DaFuq is a tech admin?

[Highdude702]

blah, you dont have to break every line.

Re:DaFuq is a tech admin?

[radarskiy]

The are the people who have oversight and responsibility for the work that is performed by the outside IT contractors. They deal with the managers at the contracting firm and say "we need X amount of task Y done, and task Z is behind schedule". They would have been middle management if it was work being done in house.

Since Intel is consolidating to a single IT contracting firm, they don't need as many different contacts inside of Intel.

Re:DaFuq is a tech admin?

[JoeDuncan]

Sounds like a secretary to me, or maybe a glorified secretary. Been doing this shit for 40 years and have never run across a tech admin.

How in the hell have you worked in tech for 40 years and NOT know what a SysAdmin is?

Wired Predicted It!

[imperious_rex]

I guess the end of the Long Boom) (1980-2020) is almost upon us.

Re:Wired Predicted It!

[93 Escort Wagon]

Yeah, about that - remember 2008-2011?

Re:Costa Rica?

[ShanghaiBill]

One of these things is not like the others...

That was actually a mix up. Most of the people working in Intel's Santa Clara facility commute from the neighboring (and much larger) City of San Jose, California.

But when HR was told to "layoff those San Jose guys", they thought the CEO meant the other San Jose.

Lay offs are cold

[spinitch]

Large Cos. Are cold but they do offer experience. Getting tossed by your employer one of the experiences. ææ-åæ. Big Co brand can usually attract talent.

Re:Sounds like my dad.

[Highdude702]

They should have just listened to him about spectre and meltdown! Intel hurt your father mentally. You should sue! "Spectre and Meltdown caused my dad to be depressed and stop doing what he loved!" would be a fucking awesome for sure win!

Can we get an union now?

[Joe_Dragon]

Can we get an union now?

Re:Oracle & EA just fired a whole bunch of tho

[jpaine619]

In other words, if you're a working class stiff you're always under water.

Then start your own business and quit whining. Doesn't have to be a big one.. You could be the sole employee. When you own your own business you'll quickly find that your efforts are rewarded in proportion.

I'm not saying everyone is going to start a successful business, but for those that happen upon the right location, circumstances, and need, the more effort they put in the more money they'll make. It's directly proportional and you aren't making money for someone else who might not put any extra effort in.

Re:MAGA

[jpaine619]

Right, because under Democrats there aren't layoffs? Of are you implying you want your socialist overlords to make it illegal to lay off people that a company no longer has a use for?

Perhaps we should have tribunals, where every company has to PROVE a job is being eliminated and not outsourced, before we permit an employment to be terminated.

I can't imagine that would have any effect on companies.. It certainly wouldn't make them reluctant to hire short term employees.....

/sadism

[Texmaize]

You have a deep sickness inside you that you actually are rooting for hard times for people because you do not like someone's views on tax policy. You might want to take a long look in the mirror and think about if you really want to be the villain that you have become.

Re:/sadism

[fluffernutter]

I just want people to wake up and see what's going on. Around 40% haven't yet.

Re:/sadism

[Texmaize]

Again, the sad irony is that YOU need to wake up instead of being so sanctimonious. Most sectors of the economy are doing well. There is widespread growth. Due to lack of innovation, encouragement of the lack of integrity, and horrible social policies the California tech center is falling. It is falling because it is being beaten badly by people across the world who value what you do not. They are looking for innovation more than watch band.

You are so sick in the head, you can't even read articles outside your bubble to see that other sectors are doing well. You can't self diagnose any failings in your bubble, because if you question anything in your world view, you will see what a shamble it is. You are such a terrible Human being that you actively hope for and would gladly help engineer an economic collapse for millions of others, rather than admit that some parts of your ideology is wrong. The tragic thing is, you probably think of yourself as a good person, instead of the foot soldier or ignorance and divisiveness that you are.

Re:/sadism

[fluffernutter]

If the economy was doing well, wages would be going up. I'm speaking for almost all Americans here, and good reliable well paying jobs that aren't based on a term or a gig, and don't go away the year after you start working there. The stock market means very little to the average person unless they're ready to cash out all theri retirement savings right now.

The Ca Crumble

[Texmaize]

The economy is going well for many sectors. However, Intel is suffering from a combination of silicon valley stagnation, too much overhead, crippling regulative burden etc. For example, Intel was the king of silicon for decades, but the bulk of computing has moved to the mobile market, where they are not a player. They have also missed hurdles on things like 10 nm chips, which has caused companies like Apple considerable embarrassment since they made laptop designs on the assurance that these cooler running chips would be there.

The high taxes and overhead inflicted by California is starting to drag many companies down. It is simply becoming cost prohibitive to do business there. Nice when you are a monopoly I guess, but the world is a big place and competition is a thing. In the real world, there are no participation trophies.

Re:MAGA

[fluffernutter]

Democrats don't tell everyone America will be awesome and they're going to get all the jobs back and then fail at it.

Re:Spectre Meltdown

[supremebob]

The Intel IT department probably had nothing to do with that. That would have been the processor design and engineering teams.

Hold on a sec...

[JoeDuncan]

I thought "DevOps" was the new buzzword everyone was embracing these days, is it stupid after all? LOL