How's this for karma????

[Julester]

Lord you mean to tell me that Billy boy just can't let them keep it??

Rich......boy this is RICH! Good luck collecting!

*****************************
Microsoft Overpays Laid-Off Employees, Wants Money Back
Monday , February 23, 2009



What Bill Gates giveth, Bill Gates can taketh away.

Microsoft says some of the 1,400 employees it laid off last month accidentally got too much in their severance packages -- and now it wants the money back.

"This letter is to inform you that an inadvertent administrative error occurred that resulted in an overpayment in severance pay by Microsoft," reads a letter sent to an unnamed employee and posted on the TechCrunch blog. "We ask that you repay the overpayment and sincerely apologize for any overpayment to you."

Blacked out are the employee's name and address and how much Microsoft says he owes. The letter bears a Microsoft letterhead and a date of Feb. 18.

Contacted by CNet News, a Microsoft spokesman confirmed the letter was real and hinted that some other laid-off employees had been underpaid in their severance packages.

He or she declined further comment, deeming it "a private matter between the company and the affected people."

Microsoft wants the money back within two weeks. The incentive? An adjusted employee tax statement from Microsoft. Otherwise, you're liable for the income tax on the extra cash.

On Jan. 22, the day the layoffs were announced, Microsoft reported its net income for the Oct.-Dec. 2008 quarter was down 11 percent from a year previously, but was still a healthy $4.17 billion.

[BC-NanceLee]

Ouch.

As an HR person I can tell you this would be a nightmare!

[andys]

Originally Posted by Julester

Microsoft wants the money back within two weeks. The incentive? An adjusted employee tax statement from Microsoft. Otherwise, you're liable for the income tax on the extra cash.

I'd want to say "NP, I'll take care of the taxes, in fact if you want to send me any more of the $4.17B, I'll take care of the taxes on that as well".

[tracyred]

To Microsoft's (*cough*) credit:

Microsoft backtracks on severance issue
by Ina Fried

Amid a wave of criticism, Microsoft is backtracking on a decision to require laid off workers to pay back money that the software maker said was in excess of its planned severance, CNET News has learned.

Over the weekend, Microsoft confirmed it had overpaid severance to some workers and underpaid others. At the time, the company did not say how much money was involved, but sent the workers who were overpaid a letter saying they would be required to pay back the money in excess of the severance they were due.

On Monday, Microsoft human resources chief Lisa Brummel said the company was reversing course.

"I thought it didn't make sense for us to continue on the path we were on," she told CNET News. Twenty-five workers were overpaid and about 20 underpaid, Microsoft said.

Brummel said she has spoken or left messages to most of those affected.

Brummel said those overpaid received, on average, about $4,000 or $5,000 in extra pay.

"I have called now 22 out of the 25 impacted employees, only because I haven't had time to get to the three but I will after we hang up," Brummel said.

In general, Brummel said it makes sense for companies to recover money if it makes an accounting error, but she acknowledged the situation was an extraordinary one. Brummel said the company actually overpaid her at one point during her long tenure.

"It actually happened to me and I wrote the company a check," she said. "It may have happened to others."

Later on Monday Microsoft issued the following statement about the matter:

"Last week, 25 former Microsoft employees were informed that they were overpaid as a part of their severance payments from the company. This was a mistake on our part. We should have handled this situation in a more thoughtful manner. We are reaching out to those impacted to relay that we will not seek any payment from those individuals."

Microsoft also said that the company is immediately reimbursing the underpaid employees.

This is my favorite part:

Brummel said the company actually overpaid her at one point during her long tenure.

"It actually happened to me and I wrote the company a check," she said. "It may have happened to others."

Brummel has been compensated handsomely enough to have been able to purchase a freakin' basketball team. That she sees fit to draw parallels between her magnanimousness and the situations of those who were laid off is a testimony to how out of touch she is.

[KittyAB]

I would had kept the money and pay the taxes.

[Briar]

I would give it back, I think the IRS would be looking for "other" crap to find you guilty of. Take it. Don't want it.

[KittyAB]

When I left one company, they kept paying me... I would call and the money kept coming into my account. Took several months to get it sorted out. I gave the money back but since they also made payments into my pension as welll.... those funds could not be withdrawn. So I got some extra pension funds.

[JenX]

My brother is one of the people "let go" by Microsoft, and I have to tell you that I feel like the lay offs were just pure greed on the part of Microsoft, made worse by them wanting their mistake money back....way to pour salt in the wound....oh...we're still making great profits, but not enough to stay loyal to our employees, and oh by the way, we want our money back, even though you are struggling to put food on the table while we go buy a yacht with our profits....

I feel bad for my brother I don't think he was one of the ones overpaid though....

[Laurie Jane]

Unrelated to Microsoft but Jenx, I have to say, that is the sweetest puppy face I have ever seen in your avatar. I want him!

[Julester]

Looks like the payroll manager is the one that needs to be laid off.

But Bill Gates flaunting his gazillions around and being this Hero Philanthropist.....should ____ well take care of the employees who served him well.

JenX sorry to hear about your brother. I am sure that someone will pick him up soon!