Thread regarding IBM layoffs

I left IBM on August 31st and they sent me a collection notice attempting to get me to cut them a substantial check for 14 days of overpaid leave. I never took such leave and they offered no documentation to support their claim. When I tried to call the number in the letter, I got sent into a continuous loop and then it eventually hung up. I then had to email them. Quite frankly, this is an unethical business practice - sending a non-specific collection claim asking me to send them money. IBM has to be the most messed up company I ever worked for in my 34 year career.

I, too, was laid off last year. I didn't have a vacation owed balance, but I did get a "nice" letter from them about two months after terminating saying that I owed them something like $52. And if I didn't pay it, they would turn it over to a collection agency. Oh, and of course, no clear explanation of why I owed them this money. I was guessing maybe Ginni and team needed that fifty bucks to make their numbers for the quarter. Or pay her latte bill for the week.

So, I called them up and found out it was to cover my portion of my medical from the time they cut my last check 'til the term date (a few days). I see this as yet another sign of their ineptitude that they couldn't have calculated that when cutting the check. But, to get a letter threatening me to pay up or else after all they put me through – that was just like getting salt rubbed into your wounds.

I'd imagine they'd come after you for 25 cents if they thought you got away it.

I took all my vacation by May 2019 for the year, then was told in July that I was to be laid off. IBM told me before I left that the vacation I had not yet earned would be taken out of my final check (3 days). However they didn't, and informed me a month afterwards that I owed them. I chose to ignore and now I am sent to a collection agency. Has anyone else had this happen? I feel like it was their mistake not mine.

If someone Took paternity leaves then leave the IBM before the end of year .Does She/He need to pay back to IBM or not ?

If you leave IBM before you've "earned" all of your vacation, they withhold your pay for the unearned vacation from your severance check. Don't worry... they have this down to an art form. IBM always, always, comes first and the employees always, always, come last.

Wise words from in the comment below this one. That is exactly the game I played except I was extremely decent and gave 6 weeks notice. I was walking in the park, shopping, mowing the lawn you name it...then I started my new job all refreshed!

well to be a respectable human being you should offer some notice when quitting any job....here is what i would do:

IF (and only if), IBM pays you a reasonable amount for unused days, do not take the days off, take the money. why? because after you give your two weeks or whatever, you basically won't be working anyway. they can't force you to bust your assto finish anything, you're already out the door (what are they going to do, fire you?). after you have given notice at any company, its basically a free vacation for two weeks since you can easily get away with working however long you want. at my last company i gave three weeks notice and then only even bothered showing up when there was a scheduled meeting to discuss handing off my responsibilities. what i am saying is you are going to be getting a "free" vacation anyway after you give notice.

BUT if IBM doesn't pay you for the days, or pays you very little, then take the time off.

most tech companies these days do "unlimited vacation" to get out of paying you at all for unused vacation time, since by definition you are using whatever you want already under such a system. in those cases, you should try to give at least three to four weeks of notice to maximize the amount of time you can get paid to do nothing (once again, once you give notice you are basically bulletproof, its not worth it for HR to try to discipline you for slacking off during this period)

This was quick - thanks @jet and @gae

Didn't answer the question about taking a full years vacation by mid year. You will owe IBM for the excess vacation you took. That will come out of your 'severence' pay or hide which ever has greater value.

Unused vacation is paid out based on the number of vacation days you have accrued at this point in the year, minus the number of vacation days you have taken/used so far this year. Vacation accrues after each full month you work. If you've been an employee for 2 years, you have 15 days of vacation.

If you separate in May, you'll get paid for 5 days of accrued vacation, minus how many days you've used so far this year. If you wait till next month, you'll have accrued 6.5 days of vacation. I left in early May and was paid for 5 days of vacation.

You won't get paid for your 2 weeks of remaining vacation unless you bounce in December and still haven't used any of your days.