Updated 4pm

INTEL WORKERS IN Ireland are being told whether they are eligible for so-called ‘separation programmes’ as the tech giant looks to cull 11% of its workforce globally.

Meetings are happening on a one-to-one basis at the company’s Kildare facility.

Employees received a memo from general manager Eamonn Sinnott last week informing them that the worldwide restructuring would impact Irish operations.

The activities announced will see 12,000 positions axed across the world.

Described as a “separation programme” by the company, it is still not clear how many people will be affected in Ireland. Current understanding based on global figures is that fewer than 500 jobs will be cut but no announcement on a final number is expected.

The firm is seeking voluntary redundancies initially and all meetings are happening individually with none taking place at a wider level. Staff are being given a number of weeks to make a decision on the redundancy package.

Sources have told TheJournal.ie that there will be enticements for older staff on top of a redundancy package of five weeks per year that will be capped at 104 weeks.

An internal webtool is being launched tomorrow which only eligible employees can access with a view to providing sufficient details to inform their decisions.

It is understood that the situation in Ireland is different to what is happening in the US where there are involuntary redundancies.

Over the next two months, decisions will also be made about what projects will be cancelled.

Counselling services will be offered to those who lose their jobs, as well as their dependents.

Sinnott acknowledged in the staff memo that the restructuring activities “will be a difficult process” and that the team should “be mindful and take care of each other”.

The note, however, also states that the Kildare, Shannon and Cork facilities remain “critical to the future growth of the company”.

Intel’s plans include moving away from selling computer chips for PCs and focusing on other wares that could be more profitable. Sinnott today described it as an “evolution from a PC company to one that powers the cloud and billions of smart, connected computing devices”.

Intel Ireland has made no comment on the situation.