Observing that the H-1B work visa programme helps hire the best available talent of the world, American software giant Microsoft has said H-1B visa holders has contributed significantly to its success. However, the company, which had recently announced to lay off some 5,000 jobs in the next 18 months, would be handing over pink slips to H-1B visa holders too.
Microsoft’s observation on H-1B visas and their significant contribution to its success was made by the company in a letter to senator Charles Grassley.
H1-B employees have always accounted for less than 15% of Microsoft’s US workforce, the level that is used in immigration law to determine whether a company is “H-1B dependent,” the letter said. The senator in a letter dated January 22 had sought information from Microsoft particularly about how its plan to fire 5,000 people would affect US workers and non-US citizens working for Microsoft. The Microsoft letter dated March 3 written by Bradford L Smith, its general counsel, has been posted on its website http://microsoftontheissues.com.
Agencies
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Has Accenture sacked half Manila workforce?
US-based outsourcing firm Accenture is laying off almost half its workforce in the Philippine capital due to the effects of the global financial crisis, the Labour Department said.
Accenture Philippines has filed a notice of retrenchment for about 500 workers at its facilities in Manila, said Labour Undersecretary Rosalinda Baldoz.
Accenture, which engages in business process outsourcing, including call centres, had about a thousand workers in Manila and in March 2008 it opened an office in the central city of Cebu which employs about 500 people.
Call centres and other outsourced business processes have become a major industry in the Philippines. Industry leaders had previously predicted that the sector would not be affected by the global financial turmoil as companies in developed countries would outsource more of their functions abroad to save money during the crisis.
Agencies
Accenture Philippines has filed a notice of retrenchment for about 500 workers at its facilities in Manila, said Labour Undersecretary Rosalinda Baldoz.
Accenture, which engages in business process outsourcing, including call centres, had about a thousand workers in Manila and in March 2008 it opened an office in the central city of Cebu which employs about 500 people.
Call centres and other outsourced business processes have become a major industry in the Philippines. Industry leaders had previously predicted that the sector would not be affected by the global financial turmoil as companies in developed countries would outsource more of their functions abroad to save money during the crisis.
Agencies
Web Abuzz with news of attack on Sri Lankan Cricket Team
Within hours of attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team near the Gaddafi cricket stadium in Lahore, Pakistan, the web was loaded with videos, links and discussions
A few gunmen attacked the Sri Lankan cricket team near the Gaddafi cricket stadium in Lahore, Pakistan. This news broke out a few hours ago and got the social media enthusiasts active over the web along with the news media.
All media was affected -- starting with news channels like IBN Live streaming a live video about the news to the micro-blogging service Twitter which was the one heavily impacted with 140 character discussions.
This attack on Sri Lankan cricket team has become one of the trending topics on Twitter. Here are a few links which lead to Sri Lankan Cricket team related news and discussions on Twitter:
keyword: Sri Lankan
keyword: #srilanka
Few of the reactions on the micro-blogging site Twitter that were noted:
SuaveRepublique: Suave is wishing that the Sri Lankan Cricketers are OK, and that cricket is never played there again.
tajdaroc: HOW is it that the attckers were able to escape having been in plain sight? The access logistics are as simple as can be #SriLanka #Pakistan
CXOtoday
A few gunmen attacked the Sri Lankan cricket team near the Gaddafi cricket stadium in Lahore, Pakistan. This news broke out a few hours ago and got the social media enthusiasts active over the web along with the news media.
All media was affected -- starting with news channels like IBN Live streaming a live video about the news to the micro-blogging service Twitter which was the one heavily impacted with 140 character discussions.
This attack on Sri Lankan cricket team has become one of the trending topics on Twitter. Here are a few links which lead to Sri Lankan Cricket team related news and discussions on Twitter:
keyword: Sri Lankan
keyword: #srilanka
Few of the reactions on the micro-blogging site Twitter that were noted:
SuaveRepublique: Suave is wishing that the Sri Lankan Cricketers are OK, and that cricket is never played there again.
tajdaroc: HOW is it that the attckers were able to escape having been in plain sight? The access logistics are as simple as can be #SriLanka #Pakistan
CXOtoday
Is it business as usual at Satyam?
In his first overseas trip to reinforce Satyam's commitment, Satyam Computer Services' newly appointed Chief Executive Officer A.S. Murty today assured Singapore that "It's business as usual at Satyam".
Murty's trip underscored the company's ongoing commitment to Singapore, headquarters for its "Rest of the World" (RoW) operations, which include Asia-Pacific, the Middle East, India and Africa. The visit was also aimed at restoring stakeholders' confidence and ensuring business continuity in the republic where its business remains strong.
Murty also used his two-day visit to address key considerations about Satyam's operational and financial aspects. Since 2000, Singapore has been an integral part of the leading global consulting and information technology services provider's global growth strategy.
"Satyam's foundation in Singapore and the RoW region is still quite strong," Murty said. "Our customer base remains intact and all of our clients have chosen to stand by us during these challenging times. And, since the beginning of 2009, we have seen a record level of new contracts in the region, which shows the confidence our customers and the industry continue to have in us."
Assuring that Satyam has a promising future, Murty said the new Board represents some of the best management talent available and employee morale continues to be high.
"My immediate priority as CEO is to initiate and cultivate additional measures that will continue to stabilize Satyam and benefit all its stakeholders," Murty said. "Singapore plays a key role in those stabilization efforts, because it is the nerve centre of our efforts to grow our business in this critical region."
CXOtoday
Murty's trip underscored the company's ongoing commitment to Singapore, headquarters for its "Rest of the World" (RoW) operations, which include Asia-Pacific, the Middle East, India and Africa. The visit was also aimed at restoring stakeholders' confidence and ensuring business continuity in the republic where its business remains strong.
Murty also used his two-day visit to address key considerations about Satyam's operational and financial aspects. Since 2000, Singapore has been an integral part of the leading global consulting and information technology services provider's global growth strategy.
"Satyam's foundation in Singapore and the RoW region is still quite strong," Murty said. "Our customer base remains intact and all of our clients have chosen to stand by us during these challenging times. And, since the beginning of 2009, we have seen a record level of new contracts in the region, which shows the confidence our customers and the industry continue to have in us."
Assuring that Satyam has a promising future, Murty said the new Board represents some of the best management talent available and employee morale continues to be high.
"My immediate priority as CEO is to initiate and cultivate additional measures that will continue to stabilize Satyam and benefit all its stakeholders," Murty said. "Singapore plays a key role in those stabilization efforts, because it is the nerve centre of our efforts to grow our business in this critical region."
CXOtoday
Monday, March 2, 2009
Will HCL Tech layoff 450 employees?
IT services company HCL Technologies has asked 450 employees at its Delhi and Bangalore offices to leave. A majority of those axed were on the bench.
An HCL Technologies official, on the condition of anonymity, said that the company had sacked 400 people in Delhi and another 50 in Bangalore in the last one-two months. The firm had earlier asked those on the bench, the buffer of employees kept on the rolls for new projects, to get assigned to projects or face the prospect of being asked to leave the firm, he said.
In an email reply, a company spokeswoman didn’t comment on the number of people sacked by the company but indicated that the move was linked to the performance of employees.
“HCL follows a systematic process of performance review and development, and the expectation of the organisation is for employees to meet the stringent performance standards. This is a routine and ongoing process,” she said.
As of December 31, 2008, HCL had about 52,957 employees. The global downturn has impacted the revenues of clients of Indian IT companies, thereby dampening demand for software services.
Agencies
An HCL Technologies official, on the condition of anonymity, said that the company had sacked 400 people in Delhi and another 50 in Bangalore in the last one-two months. The firm had earlier asked those on the bench, the buffer of employees kept on the rolls for new projects, to get assigned to projects or face the prospect of being asked to leave the firm, he said.
In an email reply, a company spokeswoman didn’t comment on the number of people sacked by the company but indicated that the move was linked to the performance of employees.
“HCL follows a systematic process of performance review and development, and the expectation of the organisation is for employees to meet the stringent performance standards. This is a routine and ongoing process,” she said.
As of December 31, 2008, HCL had about 52,957 employees. The global downturn has impacted the revenues of clients of Indian IT companies, thereby dampening demand for software services.
Agencies
Infosys cuts five percent of Australia staff
Top IT firm Infosys Technologies is restructuring its Australian operations. This has created some redundancies, downsizing its workforce at Infosys Australia by around 5 per cent, a source briefed in the matter said.
The subsidiary employs 360 people, a majority of them from Expert Information Services -- the first acquisition Infosys Australia made six years ago.
Infosys board member and director for human resources Mohandas Pai confirmed that there were some separations from Infosys Australia. Responding to a mail, he said, “We have had an organisational restructuring in our Australia subsidiary and as a result, some positions have become redundant. It is the first time after the acquisition that this is being done.”
The tech leader has, however, promised that the laid-off employees would get assistance for outplacement as well as severance pay. A few months ago, Gary Ebeyan, who used to head Infosys Australia, quit the firm citing personal reasons. He was replaced by Jacqueline Korhonen, a former IBM executive. Revenues and profits of Infosys Australia have been slipping in the past three quarters of the fiscal in part due to the impact of the currency movements.
From a first quarter revenue of $34 million and a net income of $3 million, its second quarter revenue slipped to $30.84 million and net income to $2.8 million. In the third quarter, revenue fell further to $26 million and net income to $1.62 million.
“The Australian dollar is weakening significantly,” explained an analyst, who said Infosys could be laying off staff in other regions such as the UK as well. In Australia, Infosys’ largest customer is Telestra, he added.
Agencies
The subsidiary employs 360 people, a majority of them from Expert Information Services -- the first acquisition Infosys Australia made six years ago.
Infosys board member and director for human resources Mohandas Pai confirmed that there were some separations from Infosys Australia. Responding to a mail, he said, “We have had an organisational restructuring in our Australia subsidiary and as a result, some positions have become redundant. It is the first time after the acquisition that this is being done.”
The tech leader has, however, promised that the laid-off employees would get assistance for outplacement as well as severance pay. A few months ago, Gary Ebeyan, who used to head Infosys Australia, quit the firm citing personal reasons. He was replaced by Jacqueline Korhonen, a former IBM executive. Revenues and profits of Infosys Australia have been slipping in the past three quarters of the fiscal in part due to the impact of the currency movements.
From a first quarter revenue of $34 million and a net income of $3 million, its second quarter revenue slipped to $30.84 million and net income to $2.8 million. In the third quarter, revenue fell further to $26 million and net income to $1.62 million.
“The Australian dollar is weakening significantly,” explained an analyst, who said Infosys could be laying off staff in other regions such as the UK as well. In Australia, Infosys’ largest customer is Telestra, he added.
Agencies
Delayed projects hold up over 160,000 job creations
India has lost the opportunity of employing more than 160,000 people with 18 major steel, power and auto projects getting delayed over land acquisition and forest and environment clearance issues, says a study by a business chamber.
According to the study by the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry (Assocham), "the 18 strangled projects of India Inc to the tune of Rs.244,815.5 crore (Rs.2.45 trillion) remained on papers, in the form of memorandum of understanding (MoU) and agreements over the past three-four years".
However, a smooth implementation could have created job opportunities for at least 164,000 people directly and 270,000 people indirectly, it added.
"Assocham Research Bureau has identified 18 major projects announced by India Inc in sectors such as power, steel, automotive, IT, real estate and metals and mining that are just on papers and struggling for government clearances since 2003-04 till 2008," Assocham president Sajjan Jindal said.
The delayed projects include Posco India's proposed 12 million-tonne capacity steel plant in Orissa; it has already obtained in-principle for the special economic zone status needed for getting land in August 2005, and has pumped in some Rs.1.75 billion.
But delay in land acquisition has been a major stumbling block, Assocham said, adding that a green signal could have generated employment for 35,730 people.
Tata Steel's three greenfield projects in Jharkhand, Orissa and Chhattisgarh - on a cumulative investment of Rs.820 billion - are similarly in a state of uncertainty on account of land acquisition procedures. Assocham said the three projects could have created employment for at least 2,000-3,000 people directly.
Similarly, Arcelor-Mittal's steel projects in Orissa and Jharkhand are facing peculiar situation for the past three years.
In Jharkhand, the company has got iron ore mines, but not the land, whereas in Orissa, it has land, but are yet to get mines. The planned investment in both the states are a little over Rs.43,050 crore, and is estimated to have generated direct employment for over 5,000 people and indirect employment for about 20,000.
Some mega greenfield projects in Jharkhand, if implemented, would have created nearly 9,000 jobs, Assocham said, basing its estimates on proposed investments of about Rs.40,900 crore by Essar Steel, Jindal Steel and Power and Jindal South-West.
Likewise, in the automotive sector, M&M's joint venture in Chennai with Renault and Nissan has been deferred following a delay in land acquisition; this would have created work for at least 5,000 people directly, Assocham said.
Agencies
According to the study by the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry (Assocham), "the 18 strangled projects of India Inc to the tune of Rs.244,815.5 crore (Rs.2.45 trillion) remained on papers, in the form of memorandum of understanding (MoU) and agreements over the past three-four years".
However, a smooth implementation could have created job opportunities for at least 164,000 people directly and 270,000 people indirectly, it added.
"Assocham Research Bureau has identified 18 major projects announced by India Inc in sectors such as power, steel, automotive, IT, real estate and metals and mining that are just on papers and struggling for government clearances since 2003-04 till 2008," Assocham president Sajjan Jindal said.
The delayed projects include Posco India's proposed 12 million-tonne capacity steel plant in Orissa; it has already obtained in-principle for the special economic zone status needed for getting land in August 2005, and has pumped in some Rs.1.75 billion.
But delay in land acquisition has been a major stumbling block, Assocham said, adding that a green signal could have generated employment for 35,730 people.
Tata Steel's three greenfield projects in Jharkhand, Orissa and Chhattisgarh - on a cumulative investment of Rs.820 billion - are similarly in a state of uncertainty on account of land acquisition procedures. Assocham said the three projects could have created employment for at least 2,000-3,000 people directly.
Similarly, Arcelor-Mittal's steel projects in Orissa and Jharkhand are facing peculiar situation for the past three years.
In Jharkhand, the company has got iron ore mines, but not the land, whereas in Orissa, it has land, but are yet to get mines. The planned investment in both the states are a little over Rs.43,050 crore, and is estimated to have generated direct employment for over 5,000 people and indirect employment for about 20,000.
Some mega greenfield projects in Jharkhand, if implemented, would have created nearly 9,000 jobs, Assocham said, basing its estimates on proposed investments of about Rs.40,900 crore by Essar Steel, Jindal Steel and Power and Jindal South-West.
Likewise, in the automotive sector, M&M's joint venture in Chennai with Renault and Nissan has been deferred following a delay in land acquisition; this would have created work for at least 5,000 people directly, Assocham said.
Agencies
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