Microsoft to hire H-1B workers, even as it lays off some visa holders

[OhioChick]

Source: ComputerWorld

With planned hiring, software maker says net impact of its planned 5,000 layoffs on payroll may be as little as 2,000

March 4, 2009 (Computerworld) Microsoft Corp. will lay off H-1B workers as part of its recently announced plan to let go of 5,000 employees over 18 months, but it will continue to hire foreign workers as well, even though Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) insists that the software maker has an "imperative" to ensure that American workers "have priority in keeping their jobs over foreign workers on visa programs."

If there is any imperative for Microsoft, suggested the company's general counsel, Brad Smith, in a written response to Grassley on Monday, it is that the company will hire and fire in its own best interest. Smith didn't use those exact words, but there is no mistaking the meaning of his letter.

Citing the large enrollments of foreign students in graduate and doctoral programs and its need to hire these graduates, Smith told Grassley that "we do not expect to see a significant change in the proportion of H-1B employees in our workforce following the job reductions."

Microsoft also pointed out that its planned job cuts are not as bad as they seem. Microsoft, which is based in Redmond, Wash., laid off 1,400 employees in January, more than 800 of whom are in Washington state.




Read more: http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9128962&intsrc=hm_list

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Quote: "Brad Smith, in a written response to Grassley on Monday, it is that the company will hire and fire in its own best interest."

Speaks Volumes.......

[safeinOhio]

1. An apple a day...........

[BonnieJW]

2. I would think it's in the company's best interest

to have people with jobs who can afford to buy its products. Who is going to buy MSN when they're out of work?

[Azlady]

3. K&R

[alarimer]

4. Another reason to buy a Mac

although I am not sure Apple is better. At least I haven't heard if they are laying people off.

[daggahead]

5. Linux is free and widely supported.

If I didn't have to use MS for my work and business, I'd go 100% linux.

[Occulus]

7. Same for me, but for gaming

And the only reason it's true for gaming is because of SecuRom and its ilk. The third-party Digital Restriction Management (DRM) software makes it impossible for many newer games to be played in Linux.

I have to wonder if online activation doesn't directly benefit Micro$oft in that respect. Bioshock, Mirror's Edge, ALL the Valve games, etc... I can't play any of them in Fedora 10 and it just irks me. I want to dump Micro$oft and DirectX9/10 for OpenGL, and many developers support it.

:grr:

[ChromeFoundry]

6. K&R n/t