EDS' black day as worker attempts suicide

A sacked EDS Australia worker attempted suicide on Monday at the company's Burwood, Sydney facility after learning of his retrenchment, EDS confirmed today.

"We regrettably confirm that an incident took place at one of our sites on Monday, November 17, involving an employee of EDS Australia who had been notified of redundancy," the company said in a statement today.

EDS on Monday retrenched an undisclosed number of staff at the site as part of its plans with new parent Hewlett-Packard, to cut about seven per cent of their combined Australian workforce of about 6,000 staff over the next three years. Emotions had been running high at the facility, according to sources.

"The employee in question was taken to hospital for evaluation, and his family was immediately notified of the situation," the company's statement continued. "EDS also took immediate measures to deal with the impact on employees and teams on site."

The company said it understood it was a "very difficult time" for its employees, and was doing the best it could to deal with the situation "responsibly, promptly and compassionately." It asked the press to respect the worker's privacy to allow him to recuperate.

"EDS is doing everything we can to assist the family of the affected employee, as well as his remaining colleagues at EDS at this difficult time. We wish our colleague a full and quick recovery," the company said.

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EDS / HP Bites Anonymous -- 20/11/08

Shouldn't that be...

We wish our EX-colleague a full and quick recovery," the company said.

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inexcusably sad! ned kelly -- 23/11/08

this is a very sad indictment on our current society. my best wishes to this person for a speedy and long term recovery and best wishes also to his/her family.

thing is, whilst we have ceo's making $millions per year, with snouts in the trough, simply to help the bottom line and meet financial forecasts, the average joe (like me) and this unfortunate casualty, always gets bent over.

perhaps its time we all took two steps back and considered the best way for *all of us (rather than each individual saying ***k you, i'm ok) to thwart this*.

got any thoughts? i know i have, think about it!

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inexcusably sad Anonymous -- 25/11/08 (in reply to #320116892)

EDS has a very bad reputation for its treatment of its employees. This has resulted in a workforce that is unmotivated, so the response is pressure on the employees. The driver at EDS is profit, nothing else. Sorry to be cynical, but apart from the negative publicity, I wouldnt think EDS Management will give this a second thought. There have been other examples of distressed employees committing and attempting self harm.

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EDS treatment of employees. Anonymous -- 25/11/08 (in reply to #320116989)

The Management of EDS, and indeed ANY of these "high-flying" companies will not give a brass razoo.
If an employee attempts suicide, then they must have had a mental condition, and the company is the better for not having them... Sort of justifying the retrenchment.
My feelings? I am very sad for the person involved. They must be a very caring individual, to put the importance of their job ( and the income it provides) so high on their list of personal priorities.
These are the people companies should be keeping - their job means so much to them that they would do anything to keep it.
Using employees as fodder, to be bought and sold at the turn of a share price has got to end somewhere.

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inexcusably sad! Anonymous -- 09/12/08 (in reply to #320116892)

I have been involved with EDS in the UK and USA over many years, and the general statement is true for them too. It is a systemic problem, that starts at the top. Every company has a duty of care of it's employees, EDS is no exception. When the upturn in the economy happens (which it will), companies like EDS will be made to suffer by potential employees wisely choosing NOT to work for them.

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Never, ever again Not a chance in hell -- 25/11/08

I hope this fellow gets better - this is an awful story. However - outsourcers should not be surprised it headed this way. I worked for an outsourcer for a long time and watched a team of very competent people slide downhill quickly while the outsourcer treated them like garbage. These jerks need to take a long look at themselves. Me - I now work for a vendor, get treated well, have great colleagues and a great work environment. I can tell you with a great deal of certainty if the only option I had was to go work for an outsourcer - Jim's mowing gets a new franchisee. Never, ever again will I work for an outsourcer.

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Never, ever again Anonymous -- 26/11/08 (in reply to #320117042)

Yes having worked for 2 out of the big 3 (EDS and CSC) I would never ever work for an outsourcer again. You are just there to meet ridiculous financial targets year in year out and then even more ridiculous stretch targets. When we don't meet them we cut staff, what about the poor customers that have been bullshitted to. I am not at all surprised with what is going on at EDS Burwood having spent 6 years there

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EDS Shame , Shame , Shame ! Anonymous -- 26/11/08

It is becoming common place for the little guy to take the fall for business excess and malpractice. It is a disgrace we collectively allow this to happen to fellow Australians. We all deserve so much better . Are we all so desperate and insecure that we cannot demand better Managers and people who care about developing and growing Australian business for Australian customers. EDS you are just pitiful !

My take is EDS has just joined my black list of never to be used , never to be recommended and I figure that this is the ONLY way to rid us of the blight that for example considers it is part of a job description to be available 24/7 with no overtime benefits and yet be terminated with 5 mins. notice. Just pathetic.

Ken

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Fat Cats Anonymous -- 28/11/08

I remember when that oxygen theif Dick Brown was sacked he made off with US $55m. Then, the rest of the EDS suckers had to put up with a salary freeze that lasted 2 years.

Every Day Sucks.

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Duty of Care Anonymous -- 04/12/08 (in reply to #320117380)

It is rather incredible to realize that a big company like EDS seems to have no concept of Duty of Care for its employees. I would have thought that the HR department should understand this concept, instead, they only understand the saving of their own jobs, not operating as HR professionals. They should be ashamed of their failure when an employee attempts to kill themselves, not produce spin.

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HR? - HAH!! Anonymous -- 04/12/08 (in reply to #320117897)

HR departments are full of oxygen thieves.. Useless clowns that are there to implement whatever procedures have been sent down from head office. Gee - here's a thought - if the policies and procedures don;t make sense - don;t tell me about it & follow them anyway - be a professional AND DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.

pathetic

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EDS Anonymous -- 03/12/08

EDS is just an awful employer. It is amazing the number of web sites containing employee negative views. A management ethos that borders on immoral, poor customer service, non existent raises, job insecurity, focus on financials, hire and fire attitudes. It is hard to believe that a company with these values could have been successful. Unfortuneatly, HP sounds about the same. So they deserve each other. In years to come, this new company will be studied by business schools as how not to manage, as their reputations are so poor, they will not have a future.

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A sad incident at a systemically sad worksite Anonymous -- 06/12/08

This is probably as bad as it gets, and best wishes for recovery to the individual concerned.
But, there's probably untold misery among all of the staff shuffled out the door, beyond this specific and "newsworthy" incident. There are (or were...) a bunch of dedicated ex-CBA employees working for EDSA, and its likely that some or many of them are now ex-employees.
The economics may be unavoidable, but there's a huge range of choices in how its done, and there should be a high burden of accountability on those doing it, to ensure that people are treated with respect in the process.
Am I being unfare in implying otherwise? If my own observations at the site in question from a few years back are any guide, probably not.

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Not all outsourcers are like EDS Anonymous -- 09/12/08

I work in the outsourcing part of IBM Australia. The business is growing, we're taking people on and I'm confident about the future. Sure, improvements could be made, but I left a competitor (not EDSA) to come to IBM and haven't regretted a minute.

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IBM not looking good either Anonymous -- 10/12/08 (in reply to #320118452)

People have lost contracts recently at IBM, and those contractors who are lucky enough to get theirs renewed (like me) have had to take a 10% cut on their rates. That's across the board apparently.

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Sad Anonymous -- 13/12/08

Man this is so sad.

I actually have an interview with EDS coming up so I googled for info on them and all im finding is stories about how horrible it is to work there

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Ego Matt -- 15/12/08

Sorry to say but committing suicide because someone fired you is a complete ego trip.

There is no way someone should so strongly identify with a job created by someone else. It's just the same as being so wrapped up in a personal relationship and then wanting to commit suicide because they leave. You have no control over other peoples actions and if you let them affect you that deeply then it's not a real relationship, it's a bunch of egos having a party.

I hope this person recovers well and then identifies with their own internal self worth, not someone elses idea of it and not their egos, and gos on to do many great and wonderous things driven by their own happiness (and not to drive their happiness).

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EDS treatment of their employees Johnno -- 02/01/09

As an ex EDS employee, I saw this writing on the wall 10 years ago and decided to leave them which now turns out to be a good decision. EDS haven't had a good top management as a company as with many other large co's. No such thing as people care and their HR...well just like any other companies' HR...useless. My best wishes for their distressed employees

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Agreed with your comment on HR, ANZ's equally useless Anonymous -- 12/01/09 (in reply to #320120193)

I am very sad to read this news. As an ex-ANZ, I showed no respect in ANZ's / many large companies retrenchment process, its HR department and its senior management after learning a number of my ex-top performing employees were recently retrenched from ANZ. Retrenchment in this climate is the best tool for some callous and (in nearly all cases) the most incompetent managers to build their own 'Yes' men team and get rid of their likely political opponents (and these people tend to be those who really care and true to their belief and shareholder values).
As a shareholder of ANZ and many large companies, I like to question the professional ethic and the role of their HR departments ... which in my experience is absolutely useless and the least trustworthy
I will definitely never work for EDS after reading this.

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No Duty of Care shown by EDS and ANZ Anonymous -- 12/01/09 (in reply to #320120818)

Concur with your comments on ANZ's HR. I heard a number of horrible stories at ANZ recently and over the years as a doctor.... I couldn't believe ANZ's HR could totally ignore a number of systematic harrassment, bullying and discrimination claims raised to them by its employees without showing basic concern / conducting basic investigations.... Mike Smith (whilst I have lot of respect in your recent Speech on restoring ANZ's reputation), how can you let some member of your HR team get away with ANZ's duty of care and let bullies and incompetent managers ruining ANZ's reputation as a responsible employer. I am hoping eventually one day one of these victims may be brave enough to take ANZ to court over this instead of resorting to HR route and force to resign / be retrenched by raising concerns on unlawful conducts to HR

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Separate the HR Department from the Company Anonymous -- 24/01/09 (in reply to #320120831)

I was retrenched from EDS during the DotCom crash in 2001. Its an unfortunate fact of life that in crises companies are forced to do this, and being retrenched is not necessarily a personal attack, although at the time it can seem so.

I received my letter from my boss in person, and was offered outplacement support (which I didn't need). It took me a while to re-orient myself, and I went on to establish an IT company that has signed record levels of new business in January 2009. Other people who left EDS at this time have also been successful afterwards, especially in establishing very successful businesses.

I know Mike Smith (at EDS and former companies), EDS and HP and consider the people and the companies to be good to work for. I'm sure that Mike and his team would feel this incident very personally.

I don't know how the poor chap at Burwood was treated, but I can very well image his stress. Very likely there was a failure in the management of the situation. This happens in other companies too (believe me, I know!).

But it would be unfair to the company, and a mistake on the part of people who decide not to work for EDS because of this incident, to assume that this incident is representative of the way EDS/HP is as a place to work.

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Separate the HR Department from the Company Anonymous -- 24/01/09

PART 2

Having spoken in favour of EDS/HP, I now want to comment on HR Departments. I agree with the condemnation on HR Departments in IT companies (and the financial sector, and the Federal and State Public Sectors). They have really lost the plot! They are only concerned with themselves and do not interact with the rest of the companies they are part of.

As an executive in several major companies ... "the client" to the HR Departments ... I've found that they do very little of value and provide almost no support to management. If you want to recruit someone you do all the work yourself ... they get involved in some of the paperwork. You get zero support from them in other matters. I've never had to fire or retrench anyone, but I'd expect the same level of support from HR.

In my own company I use an outsourced HR manager (Entity Solutions) ... I will never, ever, appoint an HR Manager.

For recruitment of IT people we use LinkMe.com.au or Seek. We've found that bodyshops are sources of misery for both sides when they place the wrong people in the wrong jobs. The contractor and the client lose, but the bodyshop still makes its money.

I would really like to see a wholesale rejection of the culture and status quo of HR Departments from the top down, and the adoption of outsourced (not bodyshop) and direct engagement with contractors and staff.

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HR is just the messenger Anonymous -- 24/09/09 (in reply to #320121593)

No, I have never worked in HR but can say that they merely carry out the termination because someone else has deemed it necessary.

If there isn't a M&A situation or a genuine corporate re-focus, the bean counters are watching a number, such as the revenue-to-headcount ratio and tell the department head that they need to remove x people. I have watched a black day when dozens of people were laid off one by one and the HR person was in tears by the end of the day. In that round, one HR person was also laid off.

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