Sounds Like IBM is Preparing for Mass Layoffs/Redundancies in Red Hat, Albeit in "PIP" (Performance Improvement Plan) or "Relocation" Clothing
This isn't the "old" IBM; they're applying pressure by confusion and humiliation
It's Friday. In Europe people already cleared their desk and went home (Easter). In the US they're about to or did so yesterday, Maundy Thursday. 3 hours ago (around the time I published "Red Hat and IBM, Layoffs and Shutdowns" in the sister site) somebody posted the following "gossip":
Red Hat / IBM Dallas office complete S Show
The IBM employees working on the Red Hat team are experiencing a complete S Show right now. First, they’re told there’s no way the center is closing. Then, told the center is closing and the must move to Austin. Being told Red Hat will never cancel the contract but they may cancel the contract. The same day they announced the move, they announced PIPs. It’s an unorganized mess. Can’t believe Red Hat or IBM is allowing this. Crazy times!
Contradictory stories from management figures always imply that someone is lying. I know this from personal experience. IBM does not seem to value Red Hat's community assets or its spirit/principles. The current IBM management aims only for one thing: money. See these latest comments. They're burning things just to meet the next quarterly targets and use the profits (or debt) to buy the revenue of other companies (via acquisitions). They're gaming the system.
"Expensive" staff is perhaps most "vulnerable" or "at-risk" right now. IBM does not fancy outright laying off people, at least not before trying PIPs, relocations, RTO etc. Do not delay or wait for an inevitable "conclusion". IBM is notorious right now for lousy severance terms. █