IBM is quietly axing jobs, source says

Severance NDAs and Legal/Practical Issues

• Many assume NDAs are tied to receiving severance; “cash for silence.”
• Some advise refusing NDAs/arbitration unless the package is substantial, to preserve legal options.
• Questions about enforceability: depends on contract and jurisdiction; fear of deep-pocketed legal action deters people even if clauses might be weak.
• Several point to US labor law/NLRB guidance that overbroad severance NDAs restricting concerted activity are likely illegal.
• Others note NDAs are easy to bypass via anonymous leaks and mainly make IBM look worse.

Frequency and Targeting of Layoffs

• Commenters say IBM does layoffs regularly, almost as a routine cost-control tool.
• Reported pattern: many affected are in their 50s with 20+ years at the company, often at higher pay bands.
• Some insist this is primarily cost-cutting, not intentional ageism; others argue repeated concentration on older, long-tenured employees plus rehiring younger workers at similar pay is age discrimination in practice.
• Debate over whether “firing the most expensive people” is materially different from age-based firing when age and cost are tightly correlated.

Skills, Pay Bands, and “Topped Out” Employees

• One view: those laid off at top of a band have capped-out growth and are overpaid relative to contribution; they’re natural targets.
• Others counter that productivity and institutional knowledge can remain high even if promotion prospects are low.
• Advice offered: better to change employers than request a voluntary pay cut to reduce layoff risk.

Offshoring, AI, and Workload

• IBM is said to be cutting in the US while hiring in India; critics call this quality-eroding and “traitorous,” suggesting unionization and boycotts.
• Some layoffs blamed rhetorically on AI/automation, but insiders say work is often simply redistributed to remaining staff or cheaper regions.
• Opinions split on AI: some see net job creation long term; others focus on its use as a pretext for cost-driven cuts.

IBM’s Strategy, Performance, and Culture

• Thread portrays IBM as a long-term “declining giant” relative to peers, kept afloat by financial engineering, share buybacks, and repeated restructuring.
• Executive compensation growth and missed internal goals are cited as misaligned incentives.
• Experiences with offshoring failures, toxic services branding, and poor cloud offerings reinforce a view that IBM prioritizes short-term financials over product quality and employee stability.