http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_16589059Yahoo layoffs coming?
By Mike Swift
With rumors continuing to swirl this week about a possible Yahoo merger with AOL, a new specter hovered over the Sunnyvale Internet portal on Thursday -- the possibility of significant layoffs. As reports circulated on the TechCrunch website Thursday afternoon that the company was considering cutting 20 percent of its workforce, or about 2,800 workers, Yahoo responded with a statement disputing the size of that potential cutback but not denying layoffs were planned.
"Yahoo is always evaluating expenses to align with the company's financial goals," the statement said. "However, a 20 percent reduction in Yahoo's workforce across the board is misleading and inaccurate." Yahoo did not respond to a follow up question from the Mercury News about whether the company was making any preparations for layoffs.
Later in the day, the Wall Street Journal's All Things Digital blog said the number of people laid off would be about 650 workers, and that the cuts would be centered in Yahoo's product organization, under newly arrived Chief Product Officer Blake Irving. Both reports cited anonymous sources.
Under the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) requirements, state law mandates that employers planning to lay off more than 500 workers must provide a 60-day notice of the layoffs. As of Thursday, Yahoo had not filed a WARN notice with the California Employment Development Department...