IBM is pretty generous with the severance in the US too. Something like a week's pay per 6 months worked, capped at 26 weeks. If you've been working there a while, that's a half year of salary. Plus there is generally a month notice, in theory so you can find another job internally.
Second, there is a rumor in IBM that once an employee is marked as an RA (layoff), they are placed on an HR blacklist preventing them from finding another job internally. Departments that hire an employee placed on the RA blacklist are believed to have to layoff another employee to take their place.
I don't understand. Why is it so important to prevent laid off workers from being rehired/transferred? What's the rationale?
This is not really the case, it seems there is usually a hiring freeze for the month between when people were notified and when people are let go.