i just read this article http://news.cnet.com/8301-10805_3-10169119-75.html?tag=newsLatestHeadlinesArea.0 the other day on cnet and i cant.. actaully can coming from MS but still firing people and asking for money back after being fired. to me MS should have fired the accounting team but oh well again this does not surprise me from ms what do you guys think about this?
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[Merged] Microsoft Miscalculates Severance, Asks Laid Off Employees To Return Funds
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Rumor has it that people were overpayed by an entire years salary. They're still getting their correct severance pay, it's not like they're asking for that back, only the overpaid ammount.
Doesn't make much sense to pay people their normal salary when you're not going to have them work for you.
IMO it's perfectly reasonable to correct obvious accounting errors like this.
Doesn't make much sense to pay people their normal salary when you're not going to have them work for you.
IMO it's perfectly reasonable to correct obvious accounting errors like this.
Yes it sucks that this happened, but seriously would anyone expect Microsoft to just let millions of dollars be lost to an accounting error because it might look bad if they asked for it back?
Yes.
**and I bet it was a software error! and if it weren't, if it were human error, I hope whoever caused the error is fired (although knowing microsoft they were probably promoted)
That is exactly what they should have done, and now that they made total asses of themselves, it is exactly what they ARE doing.
Microsofties must return severance pay
In a recent letter to some of the laid off Microsoft employees:
"An inadvertent administrative error occurred that resulted in an overpayment in severance pay by Microsoft. We ask that you repay the overpayment and sincerely apologize for any inconvenience to you."
How did they figure this out? Excel?
http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds..._send_back_part_of_your_severance_2009_2.html
And now, in the most recent update to the Severance Program, Microsoft says it was an error, and the former employees can keep the overpayment.
http://www.computerworld.com/action...leBasic&articleId=9128432&intsrc=news_ts_head
In a recent letter to some of the laid off Microsoft employees:
"An inadvertent administrative error occurred that resulted in an overpayment in severance pay by Microsoft. We ask that you repay the overpayment and sincerely apologize for any inconvenience to you."
How did they figure this out? Excel?
http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds..._send_back_part_of_your_severance_2009_2.html
And now, in the most recent update to the Severance Program, Microsoft says it was an error, and the former employees can keep the overpayment.
http://www.computerworld.com/action...leBasic&articleId=9128432&intsrc=news_ts_head
Good lord, someone actually gave the go ahead to order the money back? What kind of a heart less b*stard does that...
Oh wait...
![steve_ballmer-2.jpg]()
Oh wait...
I think they're getting it all now...
http://i.gizmodo.com/5159128/microsoft-firees-can-keep-all-their-severance-pay
http://i.gizmodo.com/5159128/microsoft-firees-can-keep-all-their-severance-pay
So, if you fall under the group of people laid off and got paid the correct amount, how do you feel about a group of other laid off employees getting extra $$$ they weren't supposed to get, maybe feel a little short changed?
if the ex-employees knew they were getting extra severance, they I hope they weren't ticked when MS wanted it back b/c it wasn't their money.
Personally, i don't care how the company is, but if folks are overpaid, they should do the right thing and acknowledge the mistake.
If they didn't know, which i would find hard to believe b/c you sign papers upon your exit so anything they received cheque wise should have spelled the difference, then it's not their fault obviously.
Of course, now MS is going to give them the extra so i guess my points are moot.
This isn't like Nortel which is absolutely screwing its recent ex-employees. Since the big N claimed bankruptcy, they're protected from paying severance. Can you imagine working in a place for 20 years and expecting a very nice severance pkg in lieu of a pension and then not getting it? Some folks will have to sell their houses etc...
Entirely a different subject, but my stomach turns when I think of that situation. Meanwhile, the ex-execs sit back and enjoy their millions...yikes!
Personally, i don't care how the company is, but if folks are overpaid, they should do the right thing and acknowledge the mistake.
If they didn't know, which i would find hard to believe b/c you sign papers upon your exit so anything they received cheque wise should have spelled the difference, then it's not their fault obviously.
Of course, now MS is going to give them the extra so i guess my points are moot.
This isn't like Nortel which is absolutely screwing its recent ex-employees. Since the big N claimed bankruptcy, they're protected from paying severance. Can you imagine working in a place for 20 years and expecting a very nice severance pkg in lieu of a pension and then not getting it? Some folks will have to sell their houses etc...
Entirely a different subject, but my stomach turns when I think of that situation. Meanwhile, the ex-execs sit back and enjoy their millions...yikes!
Actually yes they are. There is no requirement to offer severance pay at all. I'm been through a few layoffs in the aerospace industry. They basically just tell you to go home NOW. and that's it How ever in each case I was paid up until the end of the work day and got to leave early. This is how places like Raytheon and Northrup work. MS seems much nicer.
Except when they are not.
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E02EED8133FF930A25751C1A9669C8B63
Hmmm, what? Largest unfair employment practices penalty of its kind. A reminder to people (assuming they ever knew) just how "not nice" Microsoft can be to their employees. Took them something like eight years to admit they were wrong, and settle.
