Dear SPS Colleagues:
We know how hard you are working, every day, to help SPS win. We are proud of the work we’re doing together to create safe, productive and connected work environments around the world. As we’ve been sharing with you during our Town Halls, even with our strong focus on growth and delivering for our customers, we continue to face challenges in a few parts of our business and need to aggressively manage costs for the rest of the year to improve our financial position.
This means we need to make some tough decisions. Therefore, subject to local laws and works council information and consultation requirements, we will be asking many SPS employees to take unpaid time off, or a furlough, in both the third and fourth quarters. Intelligrated, Atlanta Software Center, HGR, H-1B visa holders and direct labor employees are excluded from these actions. These actions will ensure we remain competitive while positioning the business for future growth in 2017 and 2018.
For the U.S. only, in an effort to help employees plan, SPS will conduct the furlough as follows:
• Covered U.S. employees will be required to take one full workweek of furlough in both the third and fourth quarters during one of the weeks below:
• Q3: Sept. 11, 2017 – Sept. 17, 2017 OR Sept. 18, 2017 – Sept. 24, 2017. (Please note, there are three pay periods in Sept.).
• Q4: Nov. 6, 2017 – Nov. 12, 2017 OR Nov. 13, 2017 – Nov. 19, 2017.
Managers will make recommendations on furlough weeks for members of their team, and GBE and Functional Leaders will make the final decision. We expect that managers will communicate the furlough dates to U.S. employees within the next week.
Outside the U.S., furlough-related decisions or other actions may also be implemented in other parts of the world as permitted by local law. Instructions for affected employees outside of the U.S. will be cascaded by the regional teams in accordance with local laws and practices.
Everyone on the SPS Leadership Team is also participating in this initiative by taking a reduction in pay during Q3 and Q4. We are all in this together.
As a leadership team, we decided to implement a furlough to keep our team together. We value the teamwork you have demonstrated as we strengthen our business and our future.
We are extremely aware of what we’ve been asking of you this year, and we want you to know that each short-term cost containment action is being taken with a focus on a long-term plan for growth. We are pushing hard on sales and NPI launches, differentiating our portfolio with advanced connected solutions, and making investments in our Sales organizations. We’re positioning ourselves for success.
If you are included in this action, you’ll hear more details from your manager on how this action will be implemented for your team and location. Thank you for all you do to help us deliver on our commitments to our customers and to work safely.
SPS Leadership Team
@OH6Fq92-1vqb is the originator of the memo.