3Com's Asia staff hit by layoffs
In a statement today, the networking equipment maker said it would cut its global workforce by about 3,000 people, or 30 percent, to trim costs.
In February, the company announced that it would be cutting 1,200 jobs, or 10 percent, of its worldwide workforce to save costs.
For this round, the Santa Clara, California-based company noted that the full staff reduction would take place over several quarters. According to 3Com Asia Pacific spokesperson Eileen Lim, 3Com Corp currently has about 10,000 employees worldwide.
When contacted today, she declined to reveal the exact number of employees affected by the announcement.
"In some cases, some employees (in Asia Pacific) have already been notified," Lim said today in a telephone interview. "However, we are not able to provide any country-specific breakdowns."
When asked which job functions would be targeted, she would only say that the reductions "come across most of 3Com's business operations, with a particular focus on general and administration-related activities".
The company has operations in the region, including Indonesia, Singapore, China, Hong Kong India, Japan, Korea, the Philippines, Taiwan and Malaysia.
On the compensation package for the retrenched staff, Lim said: "In Asia Pacific, affected employees were given severance terms appropriate to their length of service and in accordance with local labor regulations. Outplacement services will also be immediately available."
She declined to reveal 3Com's present total headcount in the region. However, last February, a 3Com Asia Pacific spokesperson had said that it was employing about 1,200 people in the region, including 770 in Singapore.
"The total number of staff employed in Asia Pacific has not changed substantially," Lim said today.
When asked if there were plans to shut down its offices in the region or its sole manufacturing plant in Singapore, she said 3Com is "actively evaluating cost-saving opportunities in plant, property and equipment". However, Lim added that no conclusions have been reached about these facilities.
Shares of Nasdaq-listed 3Com Corp last traded at US$6.52, down US$0.38.