https://www.propublica.org/getinvolved/item/left-ibm-layoffs-retirements
For much of the past decade, IBM, once America’s premier technology company, has been scrambling to find its place in a world upended by newcomers such as Google, Amazon and Facebook.
In the process, it’s been upending its workforce, often with painful results for longtime employees. According to one estimate, IBM’s U.S. employment, which peaked at 230,000, had dropped to about 70,000 by mid-2015, largely the product of layoffs and retirements.
And six weeks ago, IBM told thousands of its telecommuting employees to start reporting to particular offices, which in many cases would involve long-distance moves. That, or resign.
As a result, hundreds, perhaps thousands, more IBMers are leaving the company.
IBM has long been a corporate leader in employment practices. That means the way it treats its employees speaks volumes about what lies ahead for working people everywhere.
But IBM executives won’t tell their workers or the public how many people are leaving this year. They refuse to provide the numbers for 2016, 2015, or 2014 either, to explain the logic behind who gets tapped to go, or exactly how the departures fit into a larger strategy.
We’re asking you to help us get the numbers and, with them, answers.
All information you provide on the form below will be kept confidential. The more of you who contribute – no matter your age or position – the more accurate a picture we’ll be able to get.