Sun starts 5,000-position workforce cull

Sun's staff reduction programme seeks to shed up to 5,000 positions

Sun Microsystems has started to inform those employees whose positions have become redundant.

The job cuts are part of a staff reduction programme at Sun announced earlier this month, in which the company seeks to shed up to 5,000 positions. 

Workers whose position has been eliminated will receive salary and benefits for 60 days, during which time they must find a new position within the company. The reorganisation does not therefore qualify as a round of lay-offs.

This process is set to continue in the coming months until Sun has achieved the desired reduction in its workforce.

Sun has already eliminated 113 jobs in one of its Silicon Valley campuses and another 122 in Colorado. The latter used to house the corporate headquarters for StorageTek, which Sun acquired last year for $4.1bn.