Conference 7.286::digital

    Imagine my suprise this morning whan at 8:45 I read this note, since
    at 9am I was supposed to be at:
    
    "Employee Sensing Meeting with Sid Ferrales, VP Worldwide Human Resources"
    
    When I showed up at the conferernce room, it was occupied by
    an Oracle meeting.  And I discovered that the meeting had been
    cancelled.
    
    Of course, the only thing I could do was laugh at the irony.
    
    

    Perhaps we now have the answer to the question posed in topic 5137....

    	Maybe it was an employee "incensing" meeting and not a sensing
    meeting, Fred. Hey, at least the building was still there when you got
    there.

    I was also supposed to participate in this Employee meeting on Feb 20th
    when I received an e-mail saying Sid HAD TO ATTEND a meeting and the
    Employee meeting was postponed!!

>    I was also supposed to participate in this Employee meeting on Feb 20th
>    when I received an e-mail saying Sid HAD TO ATTEND a meeting and the
>    Employee meeting was postponed!!

Me too. This notice "postponing" the meeting was sent on the 22nd. I suppose
this URGENT meeting Sid HAD to attend was his exit interview. I suspect as an
"Employee", Sid "Sensed" that it was time to beat feet.

- George

    
    Nah, following the trail, the message was sent from EXCHANGE on the
    17th, and didn't get delivered until the 22nd.
    
    And we want people to bet-their-business on this unreliable crap?
    
    In any case, I think I got the message pretty clear.  It's a bad movie,
    and the only thing I can't figure out is if they meant it to be a
    comedy... a black comedy at that.
    
    

    
    
    from the relevant SEC filing...
    
    
    Mr. Savino Ferrales
    10080 Circleview Drive
    Austin, TX  78733
    
    Re:  Offer of Employment
    
    Dear Sid:
    
    I am pleased to offer you the position of Vice President, Human
    Resources, reporting to me.  Your base salary will be at an annual rate of
    $300,000. Your date of hire will be mutually agreed upon should you accept 
    this offer.
    
    New Hire Bonus
    --------------
    
    A one-time, new hire bonus of $75,000, subject to all appropriate taxes
    and deductions, will be paid to you as soon as practicable, after your date
    of hire. Should you terminate your employment with Digital within a period 
    of one year from your date of hire, you agree to repay this amount to the 
    Company immediately upon termination.
    
    Cash Incentive Program
    ----------------------
    
    You will participate in Digital's Cash Incentive Program.  Any payment
    thereunder will be made solely at the discretion of Digital's Board of
    Directors, subject to Company and individual performance and subject to
    all other terms and conditions of the Program, which may be revised from
    time to time at the discretion of the Company.  Notwithstanding the 
    foregoing, payment of an amount equal to $75,000 will be guaranteed for 
    Fiscal Year 1996 provided  you are employed by Digital on the payment date.
    
    Stock Awards
    ------------
    
    I will recommend to the Compensation and Stock Option Committee of
    Digital's Board of Directors (the "CSOC") to grant you a stock award of 
    4,000 shares of Digital common stock under the 1990 Equity Plan. Your 
    stock award will be granted on the date that the CSOC approves such award 
    and is subject to restrictions on your ability to sell, transfer, pledge 
    or dispose of the stock for a period of time. In addition, if you leave 
    Digital for reasons other than death, permanent disability or as otherwise 
    specified in your stock award agreement, you will forfeit all the shares 
    for which restrictions have not lapsed. These restrictions will lapse with 
    respect to 50% of your shares one year from your date of hire and with 
    respect to 50% of your shares two years from your date of hire.
    
    We will also recommend to the CSOC to grant you a non-qualified stock
    option to purchase 50,000 shares (the "Option Shares") of Digital common 
    stock under the 1990 Equity Plan.  The exercise price of this stock option 
    will be equal to the fair market value of Digital common stock on the date 
    the option is granted by the CSOC.  The option will become exercisable 
    with respect to 33% of the Option Shares one year from your date of hire, 
    an additional 33% of the Option Shares two years from your date of hire 
    and the remaining 34% of the Option Shares three years from your date of 
    hire.
    
    Both stock and option grants are subject to approval by the CSOC  and
    you will be notified, upon the grant having been made, by a separate award
    letter for each and a stock option agreement.  You will be solely 
    responsible for any income taxes associated with your receipt of such 
    stock awards.
    
    Employee Benefits
    -----------------
    
    As a regular employee, you will be eligible to participate in Digital's
    U.S. employee benefit plans under the terms separately provided for under
    each such plan or arrangement, except that you will be eligible for four 
    weeks of vacation on an annual basis.
    
    Relocation
    ----------
    
    In lieu of standard relocation benefits, Digital will pay you an amount
    equal to $75,000, as soon as practicable after your date of hire.  In 
    addition, Digital will provide you with $20,000 in assistance under the 
    Renters Relocation Program, contingent upon your signing a repayment 
    obligation agreement. You will receive a tax adder with respect to both 
    amounts for the calendar year 1995.
    
    Stock Repayment
    ---------------
    
    Upon submitting to Digital evidence of a demand for repayment under
    your Dell Corporation Special Nonstatutory Stock Option Agreement, 
    Digital will pay you an amount equal to the amount demanded (but not in 
    excess of $69,000). You will receive a tax adder with respect to this 
    amount for the calendar year 1995.
    
    Status
    ------
    
    The position offered is as a regular employee on an at-will basis.  In
    addition this offer is contingent upon compliance with the Immigration 
    Reform and Control Act of 1986.  In essence, the Act requires you to 
    establish your identity and employment eligibility.  To do so, you will 
    be required to complete Section 1 of the attached Employment Verification 
    Form and bring the documents identified in the attachment to your new hire 
    orientation.  You will not be able to commence employment with Digital 
    until you are able to present the required documents at your new hire 
    orientation.  Your offer is also contingent on your signing Digital's 
    Employee Invention and Confidential Agreement at your orientation.
    Please make yourself familiar with the contents of these documents,
    which we have enclosed for your review.
    
    Validity of Offer
    -----------------
    
    This offer is valid until May 25, 1995.  If this offer has not been
    accepted in writing by then, it will cease to be valid and will be 
    withdrawn. If you have any questions regarding your employment, please 
    do not hesitate to contact Russ Johnson at (508) 493-9282.
    
    Very truly yours,
    
    /s/ Robert B. Palmer
    
    Robert B. Palmer
    President and Chief Executive Officer
    
    
    I have read and agree to the terms as stated above and I accept the
    offer of employment.
    
    /s/ Savino R. Ferrales                            5/18/95
    -------------------------------              ----------------
    Signature                                          Date
    

	>poof!<

	The sound of another golden parachute opening up.. Please sit
	back and enjoy the cushy landing..

						mike
					Frustrated Digital stockholder

    
    As the saying goes - "Nice work if you can get it."  I'll swallow my
    pride and take the 300k, the cash incentive program, and the 50k
    options, and take over the "employee sensing" meetings.  It looks like
    there's an opening.
    
    The nice thing about being a cynic, is that you are never dissapointed.
    
    

    300k?!?  I didn't realize that Human relations was a core competency
    or something that made money for the company...
    
    And how do you measure success in "Human Relations?".. I want to see
    that quantified...
    
    JMHO
    
    John W.

    >       >poof!<
    >
    >        The sound of another golden parachute opening up.. Please sit
    >        back and enjoy the cushy landing..
    
    ahem ... the SEC filing detailed the Golden Handshake.  We await the
    details of the Golden Parachute with bated breath
    
    /Chris/  (not so frustrated as Mike, 'cos I sold my stock at a highpoint)
    

    
    Dunno.  Looks to me that it was an regular employee at-will.  Not a
    contract basis.  

	How the heck did you get that letter? 

  The Corporation must file with the SEC (Securities & Exchange
  Commission) various agreements it makes with "officers of the
  corporation". These materially affect the financial state of
  the Corporation (as you can well see!).

                                   Atlant

    
    Anybody know if Sid was responsible for the DIGITAL Strategy for Growth
    quick reference card?
    
    Did everybody get one of these?

    Not everybody, but I did get one.  What a waste of money!
    
    				Steve

    Well, not a total waste. I'm sure someonme was paid to "design"
    that fancy thing as was somone to reproduce it. 
    
    Other than that, well ya, I agree with you.
    
    Chip
    

>>What a waste of money!

A waste of money - why?  I mean now you know what to tell your family when they
ask you "What is Digital doing?" (isn't that what the accompanying letter
said?).  Its a great book mark (once cut up into little pieces). 
(I'm being sarcastic here in case anyone was wondering)

Someone also pointed out the "three high growth platforms" lists three
bulletted items and then a

"... plus OpenVMS for ultra-high availability"

It may not have a "o" in front of it, but it adds up to four.  Seems like
someone from the OpenVMS group saw the first revision and said "Hey?  what
about us?"

Brian

    
    Re .18:
    
    The cards are being reprinted:
    
      ONE ...
    
      THREE-AND-A-HALF ...
    
      NINE ...
    

    
    
    	Yup.  We got 'em.  Nice and pretty and shiny aren't they?
    
    

And remember, if you want more, they have an order number.

RE: .21

	Probably easier to get than a paperclip.

							mike

    Well I didn't get my glossy coaching card...
    
    What's the order number in case I want to order a couple hundred since
    the corporation's doing so well...
    
    John W.

    
    Re .23:  You can have mine - I won't be needing it soon...
    

>>>How the heck did you get that letter? 

From the Web, of course!  Specifically, from the EDGAR database at:

http://www.sec.gov/edgarhp.htm


							-Paul

These cards are very retro, I love 'em  
Last one I remember was from '86 or '87, 
having to do with the "Digital
way of doing business".  For the life of
me I can't find it, though, and can't
remember which rich and departed Sales VP
wrote it.  Does anyone else remember?
/m

    All I want to know is...
    
    If I put this thing in my shirt pocket - and then cut my chin on it
    while I nod in affirmation to my team's decision - will I be able to
    claim workman's comp.?

    Ahhhh a new work-related malady to deal with...
    
    carpal-chin-syndrome
    
    
    bob

    If only Sid was here to help us with these questions.

He is here thru Thursday. He's probably reading these notes, taking down
names....

    
    yah - and if he has any sense, he should probably work on trying to
    recruit the folly pointer outers.

    re: .10
    
    It's not Human Relations, it's Human Resources which covers a large
    area of work, which sounds like you don't value.  I'm sure if you took
    a minute to see what Human Resources does, you'd realize we provide
    very necessary functions to keeping the company working.  For example,
    what if you didn't get your paycheck weekly, would you keep working
    here?

>                      <<< Note 5151.32 by OBSESS::FLOOD >>>
>                     -< Everybody has something to offer >-
>
>    re: .10
>    
>    It's not Human Relations, it's Human Resources which covers a large
>    area of work, which sounds like you don't value.  I'm sure if you took
>    a minute to see what Human Resources does, you'd realize we provide
>    very necessary functions to keeping the company working.  For example,
>    what if you didn't get your paycheck weekly, would you keep working
>    here?

Yes, I'm sure you're all working very hard. Most people I know in Digital
are. But I think that delivering our paychecks once a month doesn't
rate as best in class performance for an HR organization. How about
high retention rates? How about a workforce which promotes to others the
benefits and prestige of a job at Digital? How about a workforce which
believes there is a solid, honest and open two-way communication between
management and managed? These (plus others) might signify a best in class
HR function, one we would all be proud of, and which could legitimately
claim to be making a (positive) contribution to the health and wealth
of the company.

Make it happen.

    Is this what they are talking about when they say "the new employee
    contract"?
    
    Seems like he was working a little harder on his new contract than the
    one written up in Digital Today.
    
    Also, I did like the glossy card with the strategy on it.  Very neat. 
    
    The only recommendation would be that they provide little slide in
    pockets so that we can just slip in a new strategy statement next month
    when it changes, instead of going through the expense of printing all new 
    ones.  :>)  :>)
    
    Ken
    

    
    Hmmm.  I actually know several people in HR, and I highly respect them,
    I've even had one over for dinner.  So I do value the work that HR is
    capable of doing.  In fact, Sid's traveling touchy-feely meetings may
    well have had value.  As a direct report to BP, if one person, at one
    of the meetings got thru to him, and he to BP - then I'm all for it.  I
    was fully prepared to give Sid my opinion on what is working at DEC (a
    short subject) and what is not.
    
    I found it ironic that the meeting was cancelled because the VP of HR
    resigned.  I was actually hoping that he would have had it anyway,
    because I might have then been able to ask him why, after less than 2
    years, he was leaving a high-level, highly compensated position.  Was
    it for a personal reason unconnected to DEC?  Like he hated the NE
    weather (which I can relate to)?  Or was it because of something
    specific to the direction of Digital, or his job?
    
    I'm very dissapointed because I just don't think that the good folks
    running this circus understand just how bad it is down in the trenches.
    I watch creative, hard working people leave every week.  Most of them
    just couldn't keep making up excuses to stay.  I'm asked for my resume
    on a regular basis, and I know that pretty soon I won't be able to make
    any more excuses.  I guess I hoped Sid would tell me why I'm wrong, or
    take the message to his boss that things are *bad*.  Too bad to be
    fixed by printing a pocket mantra of 1-3.5-9 cards.
    
    

	The reasons Sid left DIGITAL really have nothing to do with DIGITAL's
policies, atmosphere, etc. 


Glen

    re: the cute laminated cards
    
    There is a serious misprint on them.  They should read:
    
    1-3-9 Strategy
    
    1 Worker
    3 Managers
    9 Vice Presidents
    
    As you can see it is really a fairly accurate ratio describing the current
    corporate structure.
    
    With tongue in cheek and tears in my eyes
    
    Doug Dickerson

    the 1,3,9 strategy is:
    
    1 chip company, preferably based in Texas
    3 years to do it in
    9,000 layoffs/year or so
    
    It amazes me that when I call an 800 number for info, I get transferred
    to about 3 other numbers, put on hold for 10-15 minutes and FINALLY get
    a person to answer the question (of course I was on hold for 10-15
    minutes on each of the 3 numbers..)
    
    Aarugh, when will we learn CUSTOMER focus!
    j

re: .38

>    -< new 931 >-
>    the 1,3,9 strategy
>    1 chip company
>    3 years to do it in
>    9,000 layoffs/year or so
>    an 800 number for info
>    about 3 other numbers
>    on hold for 10-15 minutes
    
It seems to me we need one more number:

				9 - 1 - 1     !

-Mark