Hewlett-Packard: unpaid leave

OVER 1,000 staff members at technology giant Hewlett-Packard were forced to take a week's holiday or unpaid leave last week, immediately after the company's ann­ouncement of 500 new jobs.

The move was necessary to "ensure operating efficiencies" across the Leixlip manufacturing plant and another week off will be imposed next month, the company said in a statement.

Staff were contacted by the company in January and asked to take the time off to safeguard operations. While a repeat of the move is for now "unforeseen", HP said it would continue to review its situation. It has denied any pending redundancies.

On 10 March last the company announced it was to create some 500 new jobs at its Kildare plant over the next year. The news was welcomed as a sign that job opportunities could co-exist with increasing redundancies.

However, a statement from the company last week said: "The Hewlett-Packard (Manufacturing) Ltd, Dublin Inkjet Manufacturing Operation (DIMO) wrote to its employees in January to request that they take one week annual leave and/or unpaid leave in March and one week in April to coincide with public holidays. This action has been taken to ensure operating efficiencies across the company's manufacturing facility in Leixlip. The company does not foresee further measures of this nature at the current time."

It is in stark contrast to the news that hundreds more permanent jobs are to be created as part of an €18m IDA-backed investment. The company employs more than 4,000 people in Ireland.