04.09.09
Big Blue = Evil?
I know this news is somewhat old, but I just ran across it last week. I have known that IBM announced a round of aggressive layoffs in North America. What I didn’t know is that they are “offering outgoing workers in the United States and Canada a chance to take an IBM job in India, Nigeria, Russia or other countries.”
It seems that this news has garnered it’s fair share of “simple solutions” and accusations of Naziism (speaking of simple solutions, Steve Yegge has some interesting thoughts).
As is usually the case, I find myself at odds with the “common wisdom.” Maybe I have a unique perspective, but I’m probably just being contrarian. At any rate, I don’t find this offer offensive. From my vantage point, nothing has changed and this is nothing new. Professional careers in IT for U.S. workers have been on the decline for some time now (“some time” being… oh, I don’t know… a DECADE or more). Moreover, sending U.S. citizens off to foreign countries to earn their keep has been going on for far longer than the aforementioned decline. The only difference I see is that IBM has chosen to be open and honest about the practice. I applaud them for their candidness.
I like the idea of having one more option. It doesn’t sound to me like anyone is being forced to accept a position overseas, and I’m sure there are some who would jump at the chance to spend a little time abroad at the company’s expense. Why not look at it as an opportunity, with pros and cons, just like every other opportunity? I have friends at my current company who have quite enjoyed having their relocation costs covered and are now living an extravagant lifestyle by our standards, albeit on another continent.
Is it ideal? No, it’s life. Make the best of it.
