Symantec confirms job cuts are coming
Vendor stonewalls on how many positions would be axed and which territories would be affected
Swathes of Symantec staff could be set to lose their jobs from as early as today as the vendor confirms it is pressing ahead with its "company-wide reorganisation".
Reports suggest 1,700 staff – eight per cent of its global workforce – are set to be axed from today, but the security and storage giant refused to address this number in a statement.
A company representative said: "Symantec is in the midst of a company-wide transformation. As part of this effort, we are engaged in a company-wide reorganisation. As a result, some positions are being eliminated.
"One of the goals of Symantec's reorganisational effort is to make the company's employee reporting structure more efficient and support the company strategy moving forward."
Symantec gave no details on which regions or departments it is set to trim staff from, adding that it had no other details to share.
In its 2013 third-quarter results in January, it announced it was streamlining its product offering, removing middle management positions and refocusing its direct sales force on new business. At the time, it claimed the jobs cull is expected to result in estimated severance payments of $275m (£176m).
Speaking on the conference call for its third quarter results – which was transcribed by Seeking Alpha – the firm's chief executive Stephen Bennett said morale in the organisation was low, which was a key driver in the firm's decision to change.
"In terms of our people and organisation, we had talented people that had been working hard but felt like they were losing, and they have been losing for a while. We were an exporter of talent, and the organisation was a bit demoralised," he added.
"One of the things I heard... which really struck me is somebody said – and they're describing Symantec – we were a company of promises. And more properly said, probably unfilled promise."
Symantic employs more than 21,500 staff worldwide.