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Recommended Reading: The eerie props on 'Severance'
Recommended Reading highlights the week's best writing on technology and more.
Work-life balance is a surgical implant away in Apple TV+ series 'Severance'
Apple has shared a trailer for its sci-fi series 'Severance,' and it's clear there are consequences to a perfect work-life balance.
Apple orders Ben Stiller workplace drama starring Adam Scott
Apple is continuing to expand its post-launch TV+ lineup with high-profile shows. The company has ordered Severance, a workplace drama directed by Ben Stiller and created by The Good Fight's Dan Erickson. The 10-episode first season will star Adam Scott (Ed Mackenzie in Big Little Lies) as an employee recovering from his "dark past." Scott will also produce, while Outcast's Chris Black will executive produce alongside Erickson.
Twitter will fire around 350 employees in hunt for profits
Twitter's not had a great time of it lately, with several would-be suitors deciding that they didn't want to buy the burgeoning social network anyway. Now, the company has announced its latest financial results and a restructuring plan in the hope of making itself profitable by 2017. The headline initiative will be to hack back nine percent of the company's workforce -- around 350 employees. It mirrors a similar move Dorsey made in October 2015 when he fired 336 people from the company in order to cut costs. Twitter expects that the layoffs will cost between $10 and $20 million to cover severance fees.
Microsoft's idea of severance pay is a free Lumia 630
If your firm, like Microsoft, was preparing huge layoffs, you'd expect a sweet incentive to leave, like a fat check, or the right to rob the stationery cupboard guilt-free. For workers at a former Nokia factory in China, however, the reward on offer's a little less than spectacular. MarketWatch is reporting that Microsoft is offering workers in a former Nokia factory a free Lumia 630 if they apply for the company's voluntary resignation scheme. The handsets are being handed out on a first come, first served basis, with the first 300 employees to leave each day bagging one of the phones. Of course, given that the low-end handset retails for the equivalent of $130, it's hardly the gold watch and golf club membership you'd expect to leave your job with.
Dear former Midway employee asking about unpaid wages, here's your answer:
Let's start off by assuring you that if you're a current or ex-employee of a company sending us information: A) We won't reveal your name if you ask to stay anonymous; and B) You really should leave a working return email address. As to the matter at hand, we have received a request for legal advice from an alleged former employee of Midway, who writes:"Those impacted by the recent lay off seem to have lost their PTO (earned vacation days). Class action law suit may be pending. Getting 2 months paid leave of absence was really nice, but that was required by law (the Mitchell Act) requiring 60 days notice for mass layoffs. After receiving a letter in the final week stating that the accrued PTO was NOT to be received in the final check, but in the following pay period, Midway declared Chapter 11 and evidently sent a subsequent letter stating that the PTO would not be paid at all. Evidently this is pretty common with bankruptcy. Is there a class-action lawsuit that people can join or should we all just file a claim in small claims court?"Lucky for you, we've got a talented lawyer (and LGJ columnist) on staff, Mark Methenitis. Read Mark's response after the break.
