75K Employees Offered Early-Out Ahead Of Probable Layoffs

Well, that didn't take long.

Delta Air Lines says it needs fewer people to run the company in 2009, after planned cuts of six-to-eight percent take effect. In order to minimize involuntary firings, the company says it will offer most of its 75,000 employees voluntary separation packages, looking to get an unspecified number of takers.

The Associated Press reports the news came Friday in a memo to employees from Delta CEO Richard Anderson and President Ed Bastian. A similar program earlier in the year drew about 4,000 volunteers. Northwest also offered a similar scheme before it was acquired by Delta.

In the words of the memo, "Consistent with how we have managed headcount reductions in the past, we again will offer voluntary programs to Delta employees including those who have joined from Northwest."

The effort actually involves two separate programs. One will cover employees with at least 10 years of service, whose years of age and service add up to at least 55. A second program will be offered to remaining frontline or contract ground workers and flight attendants with five or more years of service, and some other employees hired before January 1.

The announcement came 10 days after Delta announced it would reduce flights and cut systemwide capacity at both Delta and Northwest, as ANN reported.

FMI: www.delta.com