Protect Americans during layoff: Senator to Microsoft

Washington, Jan 24: A US Senator has questioned Microsoft Corp regarding its layoff plans of 5000 employees, urging that the company must give first preference to Americans rather than foreigners working on visas.

"I am concerned that Microsoft will be retaining foreign guest workers rather than similarly qualified American employees when it implements its layoff plan," Sen Charles Grassley, an Iowa Republican, said in a Thursday, Jan 22 letter.

Microsoft on Thursday, Jan 22 announced the qaurterly results and shocked the investors as it had missed the Wall Street expectations. Further, the Company announced about layoff of 5000 employees and said that it would no longer give forecasts for the rest of the fiscal year.

Microsoft said late Friday, Jan 23 that some of the people who lose their jobs would likely be non-Americans.

"We care about all our employees, so we are providing services and support to try to help every affected worker, whether they are U.S. workers or foreign nationals working in this country on a visa," a Microsoft spokesperson said in an e-mail statement.

Microsoft employs thousands of workers through the visa program, according to Grassley, the top Republican on the Senate Finance Committee.

The letter asks for a breakdown of the jobs to be eliminated and the number of employees with H-1B visa and number of American employees. Grassley also wants to know what the breakdown will be when the layoffs are complete.

"Microsoft has a moral obligation to protect these American workers by putting them first during these difficult economic times," Grassley said in the letter, copies of which were provided by his office on Friday, Jan 23.

OneIndia News (With inputs from Agencies)