Nokia staff eagerly snap up severance package offer
Quota of 1,000 reached before Easter
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Nokia has closed down its offer of a voluntary severance package for employees who wish to go somewhere else.
The package was made available to the first 1,000, and according to Arja Huovinen, Nokia’s Senior Vice President of Corporate Communications, 1,000 members of staff around the world had signed up for it already before Easter.
The terms of the package varied according to country. In Finland, the employees taking up the offer are entitled to 5-15 months of pay.
About half of the applications came from Finland. The offer has also raised interest in other parts of Europe, but in Asia and the United States, there has been less interest.
The offer excluded those involved in production, and those in management.
“Usually these packages are taken by those who have been employed at Nokia fairly long, because then the severance pay is higher”, says Aimo Leskelä, shop steward for office workers at Nokia’s Salo factory.
The great interest in the severance package was seen by one shop steward in the Helsinki region as an indication of widespread job dissatisfaction among the company’s Finnish staff, and of high pressure at work.
More on this subject:
 Nokia posts better-than-expected Q1 result
Previously in HS International Edition:
Nokia offers severance package to 1,000 employees (25.2.2009)
Helsingin Sanomat
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