Today’s Hashtag Trending script was prepared by Tom Li.
A sales manager is suing IBM for capping commissions, Amazon is going on a hiring spree, and Microsoft is booting Windows 11 testers using ineligible PCs.
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It’s all the tech news that’s trending right now, welcome to Hashtag Trending! It’s Thursday, September 2, and I’m your host, Jori Negin-Shecter.
An IBM sales manager is suing his employer for capping commission payments after alleging they had promised not to do so. The lawsuit alleges that the company failed to pay the commissions specified in the incentive plan letters that outlined the commission structure. IBM is no stranger to finding themselves in hot water for situations such as this. Since 2014, IBM has faced at least 30 lawsuits on this exact matter, with IBM arguing that the incentive plan letters weren’t enforceable contracts and thus were not required to abide by them. This scenario runs counter to a previous lawsuit where IBM said its incentive plan letters adhered to a California law that required companies to sign contracts with commission-based employees.
Amazon is making a push to hire 55,000 people for corporate and technology roles as Andy Jassy, Amazon’s new CEO, settles into his new role. According to Jassy, Amazon needs more talent to keep up with the growth in its retail, cloud, and other businesses such as satellites. Positions available are centred on engineering, research and robotics. Amazon has stated that these positions have emerged due to internal company growth rather than because of people quitting, a statement likely made to ward off fears that a toxic work culture has left the positions unfilled. Around 40,000 positions will be made available in The United States, while the rest will be filled internationally.
Finally, Microsoft is booting users running ineligible PCs from its Windows 11 Insider testing program. Several Insiders have received messages in Windows Update warning them that their PCs are incompatible with Windows 11. The warning suggests that they downgrade to Windows 10 to continue to participate in the program. With Windows 11’s October 5 release date just a month away, Microsoft has begun enforcing Windows 11’s system requirements, which includes new security features such as a TPM and a processor from a compatibility list. Users without supported processors can still install Windows 11 using a system image, though it will be in an unsupported state.
That’s all the tech news that’s trending right now. Hashtag Trending is a part of the ITWC Podcast network. Add us to your Alexa Flash Briefing or your Google Home daily briefing. Make sure to sign up for our Daily IT Wire Newsletter to get all the news that matters directly in your inbox every day. Also, catch the next episode of Hashtag Tendances, our weekly Hashtag Trending episode in French, which drops every Friday at 3 pm. If you have a suggestion or tip, please drop us a line in the comments or via email. Thanks for listening, I’m Jori Negin-Shecter.