What?! IT workers forced to train their replacements
November 17, 2008 by Sam NarisiPosted in: IT staffing, In this week's e-newsletter, Latest News & Views, Outsourcing
Now here’s an operation that’s sure to slaughter worker morale: The Connecticut-based drug behemoth Pfizer is reported to be making its IT workers train their replacements from an Indian outsourcing firm.
Yep, that’s the kinder, gentler world of corporate IT at its finest. According to a story in The Day, a New London, CN, newspaper, the leaders of one of the largest, most profitable U.S. pharma companies are bringing IT workers from India to the United States on H1B visas and having their soon-to-be downsized staffers train their replacements.
Kind of like being asked to dig your own grave and then jump into it.
Most of Pfizer’s U.S. IT workers are contractors who work at the company’s Connecticut facilities. The company circulated an internal memo in 2005 saying it wanted to cut $4 billion from its annual operating costs by 2008, mostly by moving IT and other operations from the United States and Europe to countries with lower costs of living.
The patents on a number of Pfizer drugs will expire in coming years, meaning that generics for those drugs will hit the market and Pfizer’s rather large pocketbook. Industry watchers believe this is the reason Pfizer’s taking early steps to cut its costs and their outsourcing is part of a plan to keep stockholders from abandoning the company.
U.S. Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Conn., and U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney, D-Conn., who represent the region, are reported to have sent a letter to Pfizer asking the company to re-think laying off U.S.-based workers in Connecticut.
No word yet on the company’s response to Dodd and Courtney’s requests, but let’s just imagine what it’ll be.
You Pfizer IT folks: Keep on digging.
So readers, what’s your take on this cost saving IT move?
View all the Latest StoriesTags: IT staff, Outsourcing, Pfizer
November 18th, 2008 at 1:57 pm
This is nothing new. It happened to me back in the 90’s when our company got bought out by another company that used EDS for its processing.
November 18th, 2008 at 3:27 pm
Doesn’t this voilate the intended use of H1B visas? Which were to my understanding, allow companies to fill jobs for skilled laborers due to supposed shortage of that labor here in the U.S.? Laying off existing workers with H1B visa based imported labor seems totally wrong.
I think we should boycott Pfizer unless they rethink this abusive use of the H1B visa system.
I really hope President Obama can address this H1B visa issue, it’s been abused too many times to ignore.
November 19th, 2008 at 8:51 am
It doesn’t surprise me but after the city of New London took residents’ homes by eminent domain for Pfizer under the pretense of it being a boon for the local economy, I wonder if it surprises them?
November 19th, 2008 at 11:35 am
I think it’s a crying shame to give American jobs to third world companies. What are we doing to the USA and to the people that make it a safe place to grow-up and take pride in?
Why doesn’t anyone see how bad this is for our Personal and National Security? Check out what this guy says about identify theft being conducted by illegal aliens:
http://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2007/11/identity_theft_6.html.
He’s says nearly 25% of the thefts included in his study were executed by non-citizens
It would be really easy to assume the identity of an American citizen by falsifying documents to enter our country illegally from the loads of data that these companies are giving away. Third world countries aren’t held accountable to the laws of the USA.
Find something else to cut. Start by looking at the higher end of the salary chain. How much money do you really think your worth or could possibly spend in a lifetime?
I resist the temptation to outsource and I’ve lost some business because of it, but it is business that I probably never wanted anyhow. If someone or some entity is too cheap to pay for the services provided by the hard-working Americans that I employ, it usually means I’ve just met another selfish money hoarder or inconsequential spender that would bitch and complain about my fees everyday to serve themselves instead of the commonwealth that makes it possible for that person or entity to have a safe and successful business. Instead they sell out America to foreign countries so they can underbid the rest of us that are keeping the jobs here at home. Keep the material things cheap through foreign trade, but don’t sell out the services provided by American Intellect, whether they are related to the handling of personal and confidential data or not. Pay it back to the people that afford you the opportunity to do so.
November 26th, 2008 at 10:49 am
This is where the government needs to pass laws that will raise the taxes on US Corporations who sacrifice US jobs and send them overseas.
Also, any company that does this is not entitled to any help from our government.
We should require US Corporations to only allow for 10% of overseas jobs.
As long as their income is from US citizens that should be employing US workers.