Microsoft is reportedly cutting 50 jobs from its Reading UK office and is asking its UK partners to take on the employees instead. Staff included in the cuts are 20 full-time Microsoft employees, and 30 Microsoft contractors (via ChannelWeb.Co.UK)
According to the report, the employees which have been cut have been asked to relocate to Dublin, Ireland. The move would make sense, given that Microsoft recently announced that it will open a Sales center to create 600 jobs in the city. It is also believed that Microsoft asked Bytes, Softcat and Insight, which are three of its largest UK partners (with big presence in the Reading area,) to consider taking on the Reading staff as a contingency.
The latest move is not cost cutting related but is instead part of plans to streamline Microsoft’s approach to the UK market. Microsoft has been making headlines recently due to job cuts, including when the company laid off 2,850 workers in positions related to phone hardware and sales positions.