Conference 7.286::digital

KO has been telling the press that there will not be layoffs. I believe him.

DEC is trying to reduce the number of people in manufacturing. Most of the
effort has been to get those people new jobs in DEC. I have heard some talk
that some people are 'suggesting' to some others that they look outside DEC.
I have also heard talk that some people are being given the choice of taking
a new job in DEC (even invloving relocation) or leaving the company. That
is not technically a layoff.

Alfred

It's also worth noting that the reduction in the manufacturing workforce
has been an ongoing thing over the last couple of years, due to plant
modernization and the end of FA&T.  Retraining and relocation of manufacturing
personnel was in progress long before the current industry-wide slump started.
Of course, the current malaise in the computer industry hasn't helped the
situation at all.

--PSW

Some of the things that I've seen the plant(s) do for employees
are:

13 weeks of pay if they take a job outside of DEC...
Advertising jobs available at other Computer/Electronics Manufacturers
Paying relocation if the employee will move (I.E. your current
cost center pays for your move to another...)

All of this in lieu of laying off. I just finished reading the Communications
Week article about 24,000 at AT&T IS.  Scary... 

re:.3
This has been done at DEC or other companies?

In.3 I was referring to the things I've seen DIGITAL to to help 
out employees when there were too many bodies, and not enough
work at a plant.  I.E. rather than lay people off, the company
plan is to move them to other locations, or failing that, help them get
a job in a similar industry. 

That's one of the big Plus's about working at DEC, job security, or
at least some help at finding work, rather than 'been nice knowin ya, bye!'

Gil

I second that.  I'm way out in the field and we've seen complete hiring 
freezes and when openings do come up, whenever possible we are NOT hiring 
from outside but accepting relocated manufacturing personnel.  It is of 
some comfort knowing that DIGITAL, to date, takes every effort short of 
layoffs.

				Steve

As a relatively old-time DECcie, I can second/third/fourth the unusually
benign attitude Digital has for its employees.  I have been through
periods of sacrifice, such as pay freezes, having to work extra [*NOT*
basic] hours gratis (akin to "green time" in the aerospace industry, but
*strictly* temporary rather than as a way of life), and the like.  But
no layoffs.

Digital is more than 27 years old, and the reason why it has a fairly
high degree of employee loyalty is precisely this attitude.

Steve Kallis, Jr.

    (Three years since the last reply...)
    
    "Thousands of employees in the manufacturing sector have been laid off
    at companies like General Electric, Digital Equipment, and Gillette,
    all major Massachusetts employers.  The layoffs [in manufacturing],
    which contine, reflect a national trend."
    
    New York Times August 5, 1988 d1, Wages that Raise Eyebrows 

I've sent a copy of .-1 to Corporate Public Relations.

/john

    re: .8 - I suspect that in the last three years the meaning of the
    word "layoff" has come to include "plant closings" regardless of
    whether or not employees were relocated or released.  
    
    This is particularly relevant when the context is a particular STATE,  
    because the employees may have been relocated OUT-OF-STATE hence
    loosing jobs within the state if not within the company.  
    
    	Rick
    	Merrill
    

    If you missed the date of my reply it's May 18, 1994 @ 6 years since
    the last reply. And the new CEO Bob Palmer announced May 4 some more
    major cuts, approx 20,000 more employees to be laid-off. The Digital
    Equipment of 1985 is gone. This note is an interesting comment on the
    history of Digital.
    
    Glenn Cook

*****
That's one of the big Plus's about working at DEC, job security, or
at least some help at finding work, rather than 'been nice knowin ya, bye!'

Gil
****

    THE OLD DAYS OF DEC!

    How far we've slipped since the base note was entered........SAD 
    
    			;-(

    RE: .-1
    
    >>                       <<< Note 54.13 by SALEM::STYVES >>>
    >>                                -< HOW SAD ;-( >-
    >>
    >>    How far we've slipped since the base note was entered........SAD
    >>
    >>                        ;-(
    >>
    
    Ironically enough, 3/4 (75%) of the authors who contributed to this
    thread are Gone (including both of the 1994 contributors, but not
    counting .-1).
    
    All of the very small number who are left are Engineers (the
    significance of which fact I have no clue).

    re .-1
    
    I may have the title "Multvendor Customer Services Engineer <mumble)"
    but the real "Engineers" are the people who create Digital products,
    both hardware and software. 
    
    My hat is off to all of you, Digital Equipment produces some of the
    finest products I have ever seen. Keep up the good work.
    
    .mike.

Replies on the subject of regulatory requirements for "Engineers" moved
to note 4238.

The following is the headcount of Digital employees worldwide at 
the end of the last 11 fiscal years:

1985:  83,000
1986:  88,300
1987: 103,000
1988: 113,900
1989: 118,400
1990: 116,900
1991: 115,100
1992: 107,900
1993:  89,900
1994:  77,800
1995:  61,700

Source: FY1995 Annual Report

    I thought we had more than 116,500 folks at our max. I thought it was
    closer to 136,000 (or does the 136,000 include temps).

These are numbers at the end of the FY.  We could have peaked at a higher (or
lower) number during the FY.

Dave

    re .20
    
    1999
    
    

    
    A few years back, I was introduced at a DECUS session as having worked
    at DEC "since the time it had about 8,000 employees". One of the
    attendees quickly called out "When was that?" The reply shot back from
    somewhere else in the audience: "1996!"
    

    
    	Understand everyone's concern, but my take is that if we can
    *really* grow the business now, we will be adding people - especially
    in the field sales force, and corresponding "bill for bucks"
    organizations.
    
    	And that is not a bad thought....
    
    
    			the Greyhawk