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LAST UPDATE | 14 Nov 2022
IRISH-FOUNDED CUSTOMER service software firm Intercom is to cut its global workforce by just under 13%, leaving 39 jobs in Ireland at risk.
In a statement today, the company confirmed it has “made the tough decision” to cut almost 13% of its workforce, 124 jobs, across every department and geography.
In Ireland, this will make 39 roles at risk of redundancy, the company said.
Intercom plans to relocate 14 roles from the US to Dublin.
“This amounts to a 5% reduction of our headcount in Ireland. We still remain fully committed to Ireland and it will remain our hub of innovation,” it said.
The company has notified government officials and said it will soon enter into a 30-day consultation period for roles at risk of redundancy this month.
“This is difficult news and we’re extremely sorry to say goodbye to many talented team members,” the company said in its statement.
“The reality is that we grew our headcount too fast compared to revenue growth and where the market was headed. These changes put the company in a strong and healthy position to execute our new, more focused strategy and big plans for the next year and beyond.”
Amazon
Elsewhere, the New York Times is reporting that Amazon plans to lay off approximately 10,000 people in corporate and technology jobs starting as soon as this week.
This would represent a little less than one percent of the group’s total payroll, which had 1.54 million employees worldwide at the end of September, not counting seasonal workers who are recruited during periods of increased activity like the Christmas holidays.
The Times said the cuts will focus on the company’s devices organisation, including the voice-assistant Alexa, as well as at its retail division and in human resources.
The distribution by country was not specified.
The report said that the total number of employees laid off could change, but if confirmed, it would be the largest round of firings in the history of the 28-year-old company founded by Jeff Bezos.
This news comes as Bezos today said he will give away the majority of his wealth during his lifetime, becoming the latest billionaire to pledge to donate much of his vast fortune.
Bezos, whose “real-time” worth Forbes magazine estimates at roughly $124.1 billion, made the announcement in a joint CNN interview with his girlfriend Lauren Sanchez.
The billionaire did not specify how – or to whom – he will give away the money, but said the couple were building the “capacity” to do it.
“The hard part is figuring out how to do it in a levered way,” Bezos said during the interview.
“It’s not easy. Building Amazon was not easy. It took a lot of hard work and very smart teammates. And I’m finding – and Lauren’s finding – that philanthropy is very similar. It’s not easy. It’s really hard.”
Last week, Meta, Facebook’s parent company, announced it was cutting 11,000 jobs, or about 13% of its workforce.
Online payment company Stripe and car-hailing app Lyft, also recently reported big layoffs.
Twitter, freshly acquired by Elon Musk, earlier this month fired about half of its 7,500 employees.
Includes reporting by Press Association and © – AFP 2022
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This is not a one size fits all situation. The world is trying to get itself back to as normal as possible. If certain kids can go back to school safely let them. If it is a thing that some can’t for whatever reason come up with solutions… instead of moaning about it!! Just get on with it. All these bloody whinge bags. I’m sick and tired of it. Life isn’t fair in general. Get on with it.
@Caoimhín O’Cheallacháin: well said. This expensive state whinge bag is paid for by me and you.
@Caoimhín O’Cheallacháin: why can’t the look at Cambodia or Vietnam and bring half in the morning and half in the afternoon ah silly the teachers won’t agree to that
@Eileen Downing: You can’t compare us to Vietnam, huge man power, huge contact tracing, a military dictatorship. Also your comment on teachers is uncalled for, any proof teachers have said no to split classes, timetables? I’ll answer for you. No you don’t have proof, you just have issues with teachers. Teachers have said time and again they would do what’s needed. Some schools have already planned for split timetables, without any guidance from the department. So shove your snide cynical remark.
@Eileen Downing: You’re right. We should do exactly as Cambodia are doing. So we’ll keep schools closed until November shall we?
@Eileen Downing: this bullshit again ” the teachers” like they are some kind of enemy .like the title of a horror movie…The teachers!!!. Teaching staff give a shit about kids that arent theirs…and then go home and give a shit about their own kids.
@Eileen Downing: Eileen no disrespect but I’d prefer just to concentrate on Ireland. We have produced highly educated graduates in the last 50 years even before the advent of technology. We can adapt and change and get on with things as Irish people. I have my gripes about technology and my main one is it has prevented people thinking freely for themselves. We nearly need to get permission from Google to do things these days. But that’s another story…. We just need to put our heads down work hard and everything will come out ok the other side. I’m just really tired of living in a society that has no resilience and wants everything handed to them just because it was handed to Johnny up the road!
@Caoimhín O’Cheallacháin do you have kids yourself Caoimhín, I do and I’m very weary of advice from a constant stream of contradicted advise from a bunch of scapegoats giving advise in fairness on c19 but full portfolio in an economic society with the Dr’s safest advice doesn’t work
@Agenda21: yes I am a parent… We don’t need advice. We need people to make decisions for the best interests of the people. I would be happy personally if we had a leader who was strong enough to make decisions going against possibly the “best advice” of it was explained his reasoning and why. But I feel mob rule wouldn’t allow for that and would offend too many snowflakes
According to our constitutuon all children are entitled to an education and all children are to be treated equally
@a politicians promise is as good as a lie: according to our constitution I am free to associate with whomever I choose, travel freely, worship publicly etc. Extraordinary times and emergency measures and all that jazz.
@Gordon Comstock: What worth is the Constitution if you are denied the ability to use it, in court, against laws that clearly break it?
@Tony Humphreys: Or if you’re stuck in ICU on a ventilator and aren’t free to go wherever you like?
@a politicians promise is as good as a lie: that didn’t happen before Covid 19
@Tony Humphreys: no rights are absolue, even the right to life can be superceeded by self defense…most clauses end with ‘save n accordance with law’…. eg Article 40(4)(1) No citizen shall be deprived of his personal liberty save in accordance with law. Article 40(5) The dwelling of every citizen is inviolable and shall not be forcibly entered save in accordance with law… Article 40(6) The State guarantees liberty for the exercise of the following rights, subject to public order and morality…(ii) The right of the citizens to assemble peaceably and without arms…Laws, however, may be enacted for the regulation and control in the public interest of the exercise of the foregoing right. etc etc
Not discrimination… this is a health and safety issue, ….. If your child is not allowed to attend school for their own Health & Safety and you are a parent that feels your child is being discriminated against then, you would be an I.D.I.O.T
Any measures will be temporary…
@Paul O’Sullivan: 6 months is NOT temporary
In a pandemic, good trumps perfection! Try get as many kids back as soon as possible on as equal a basis as possible.
Open the schools earlier so. Everyone gets a decent amount of school time while still leaving some room for shutdowns in winter due to second wave/flu season. Safer in summer anyway cos kids can spend more time outdoors.
@Thomas O’ Donnell: Would be something but the government doesn’t consider allowing something on a smaller scale yet..
On another hand… if you are removing the summer holidays you don’t have to open the tourist sector ever again. They depend on people staying in the country and still visiting it. That won’t be possible otherwise.
@Thomas O’ Donnell: You presume that schools have the outside space to do so. The DES went on record today to say that there isn’t any provision for extra funding for PPE or extra cleaning , who pays for it ?
If the impact for children with special needs is twice as bad the lads have to come up with some concept until September.
@8-Bit-Relic: July Provision is apparently being considered.
@Bríd Uí Mhaoluala: but they’ve yet to give a single detail about it. Am sure it’ll be released at 4:55 on a Friday to start the following Monday.
@Graham Manning: 4.55? I’d say 17.55.
Such a confusing statement and article. Saying that it is discrimination if some children get to go back and others don’t makes some sense. Then says that some children need to come back earlier? Seems to be two contradictory statements! When the schools are open parents will make their own choices about returning or using their right to teach their own children. It’s not’ discrimination’ if parents choose not to bring them to school.
In order to protect a child with for example very frail health and susceptibility to complications related to Covid-19 that child is asked to stay away from school a little longer when it reopens than children in more robust health until we have a better handle on the public health situation.
It may be more complicated and it may take a bit more time to come up with solutions for children who due to circumstances beyond their control need more assistance with dealing with the probably temporary new realities.
How is that discrimination ? To me it appears to be the simple fact that one solution will not fit all and it will simply take a bit more time to solve more complex needs and associated practicalities. As long as solutions are being worked on and implemented as soon as possible I do not believe there would be a case to argue that this amounts to discrimination.
Something FFG would sign off on…
Does this mean my kid’s school will be getting hot water and soap in their toilets?
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