Tuesday, August 19, 2003

A LITTLE LEVITY: Best questions to ask employers during law firm interview:       Does the firm provide dismemberment insurance? Would a paranoid schizophrenic feel ostracized here? What is the firm's policy on bringing pets to work? Are there any restrictions on keeping firearms in the office? Does Your wife sleep with new employees? What is the firm's internet porn policy? Can we drink at work as long as it is after lunch time? Can my office be located with the white lawyers of the firm?" 9:00:58 PM    comment []

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IBM IS CANNING WORKERS IN THE UNITED STATES WHILE IT IS ON A HIRING SPREE IN INDIA AND CHINA:   IBM Cuts 600 Jobs from Microchip Division Mon Aug 18,12:03 PM ET NEW YORK (Reuters) - International Business Machines Corp. (NYSE:IBM - news) on Monday said it cut 600 jobs in its money-losing chip-making division and would require 3,000 employees to take a week of unpaid leave. The Armonk, New York-based company has been hard hit by the worst downturn on record in the semiconductor industry and has struggled with production issues at a new $3 billion microchip plant in East Fishkill, New York. Its technology division, which includes microelectronics and engineering design services, posted a loss of $110 million in the second quarter and is expected to lose money for 2003. "These moves are designed to make us more competitive and improve our profitability," an IBM spokesman said. The job cuts are less than 0.2 percent of IBM's total work force of about 316,000 and about 3.5 percent of the technology division's work force. About 500 of the 600 cuts are at the company's Burlington, Vermont, microchip facilities and include manufacturing support positions like maintenance workers. The other 100 are split among other technology division locations including East Fishkill, Poughkeepsie and Endicott, New York; Austin, Texas; and Raleigh, North Carolina, Sykes said. The 3,000 employees being asked to take unpaid vacation include executives and manufacturing support employees. 3:41:51 AM    comment []