HP Hacking Away at Middle Class Jobs -- AGAIN

Over the last several months one of my colleagues, a former EDS employee, told me about the deteriorating work conditions, declining benefits and shrinking incomes of his former co-workers at EDS, now an "HP company".

I made several attempts to share this information with reporters at the Wall Street Journal who were writing about declining work conditions and benefits of American workers.

However, it appears that the story has been "broken" elsewhere at nbcbayarea.com.

Here's the URL: http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/tech/HPs-Huge-Salary-Cuts-Forcing-Out-Old-EDS-Employees-52485672.html

HP's Huge Salary Cuts Forcing Out Old EDS Employees

By RANDY MCILWAIN

Updated 10:11 AM PDT, Wed, Aug 5, 2009

AP

When Information Technology came of age, Ross Perot's EDS was among the world leaders. Ask almost anyone at the Plano based company, they'll tell you there was pride that went with employment there and that hard work was rewarded with good salaries and benefits.

In 2008, EDS was bought by corporate IT giant, Hewlett Packard, also known as hp. After the transition, EDS employees are no longer singing the same tune about where they work.

"The community needs to know what's happening to an outstanding company," said an employee who wished to remain anonymous.

That employee has worked for EDS between 12-20 years, climbing the corporate ladder but still firmly in the middle class. Last week he received an email which informed him his base salary would be reduced effective Sept. 1.

"We don't know what we're going to do. We don't know," the man told NBCDFW, as tears streamed from his eyes.

Employees were prepared for salary cuts between 2 1/2 percent to 5 percent. Last Feburary, former EDS employees had their salaries sliced by hp by 2 1/2 percent. In April, more cuts with salaries slashed another 10 percent, that 10 percent figure was restored a month later but the email received by the employee this time indicates nothing surgical in the wage cut.

"My pay is being reduced a total of 29 percent, 20 percent effected Sept. 1, the additional 9 percent effective Sept. 1, 2010," the man said.

That's nearly a 32 percent salary cut for one employee in two years time -- more than one-third of his base salary. The cuts push him back to the salary he earned working the same job in the same building more than 10 years ago.

Other former EDS employees said that under Hewlett Packard, they've experienced salary cuts of between 10 percent and 47 percent.

A spokesperson for Hewlett Packard said not all former EDS employees face wage cuts and that the salary realignment," enables hp to effectively drive its pay for performance strategy with a consistent job-based foundation for rewards, development and organization planning," said an hp spokesperson.

HP also says CEO Mark Hurd took a 20 percent cut on his base salary of nearly $10 million dollars a year, however when reminded that Hurd also made an additional $23.9 million in bonus pay, the spokesperson said, "You're comparing apples to oranges," and said Hurd was paid his bonus for meeting certain business expectations set out by hp over a three-year period.

Former EDS employees also said only U.S.-based employees are suffering the massive salary cuts under Hewlett Packard and that foreign-based employees are not seeing reductions in their salaries. Hewlett Packard would not comment on this or if there are any plans to outsource jobs overseas.

The employees said in the end it's customers who'll suffer, customers who signed on with EDS before the company was bought by hp. They describe the mood of the employees as dismal, discouraged and defeated. Those who haven't gotten letters or emails warning of salary cuts expect them and one employee describes spending part of the day doing his job and part of his day looking for a new job.

As for the man who decided to speak up first, he's worried about having a job tomorrow. Even with a third of his salary gone, it's still a job in the same office he's had for more than a dozen years. Unless he can find a new one quickly, his only option is to show up for work.

"It's a slap in the face. That's the only way you can take it, is that it's a slap in the face," the man said.

First Published: Aug 4, 2009 10:44 PM PDT

My colleague adds the following in a comment on this site:

I am not from the Bay area, but where I come from, 'EDS, an HP Company' never did pay competitive salaries. They made up for it with a certain amount of personal flexibility and, as EDS, had engendered a great amount of loyalty among the staff. I read the statements lacking sympathy, and I think of my friends (I left of my own volition and went to a MUCH better scenario just a few short months ago) .... These people have suffered pay cut after pay cut, salaried staff being told that losing their coworkers and getting cut in pay was just the beginning; They are required to put in a mandatory 60 hour work week, while they struggle with less pay ... all for an account that works off solid contracts that have not budged. They seem to be paying the price for the less stable accounts. Local management is in tears as much as the staff. Every cut is one they have fought and could do nothing about. I truly believe that, for some reason I don't understand, HP wanted the EDS business without the EDS staff. This is one more incentive to any who are left to get OUT. The economy may be stabilizing and HP will eventually pay the price. Good, loyal people will be forced to go elsewhere. The market benefits HP could have received from purchasing EDS will go with them.