It’s not just IBM, it’s SOP throughout the industry. Apparently IBM is the only one with management stupid enough to put it in writing, though.
Almost invariably, once a company conducts a thorough purge of the old, about six months later they discover they’ve also pushed crucial knowledge and experience out the door. Then they begin putting out feelers to former employees, to see if they are willing to come back as contractors.
I can’t begin to tell you how good it feels to be in a position to tell your former employer to f*** off when they ask you to come back as a contractor. But trust me, it feels REALLY good!
A good friend of mine just experienced that from AT&T. Don’t know if he has been asked back yet. But this is a guy who knows how to make serious cell tower comms happen.
It’s SOP in corporate America tout court. Once you’re past 50, you’re unemployable. The millennials know this as well as anyone, which makes them even more desperate to move their elders out of the way so they can get the high-paying promotions right now. Age discrimination happens all the time, and is almost impossible to prove.
More accurately,
IBM is the only one SO FAR to be caught putting this in writing.
“Up or Out” isn’t just for the military anymore.
I’d be perfectly willing to come back as a contractor……..for a price. It’s going to be a price significantly higher than I was being paid previously.