Apple Cuts Beats Jobs, Execs Reznor, Rogers Stay
Apple (AAPL) will let go nearly 30 percent of Beats employees whose jobs overlap with existing positions, offering those workers only temporary positions lasting for a limited time.
Apple (AAPL) will let go nearly 30 percent of Beats employees whose jobs overlap with existing positions, offering those workers only temporary positions lasting for a limited time.
In addition, the vendor confirmed that its $3 billion acquisition of Beats, which just gained approval of EU regulators, has closed as of Aug. 1. The iPhone maker posted a welcome page on its website for Beats personnel.
9to5Mac reported that Apple has “largely dismantled” the support, finance and human resource departments at Beats in the past few weeks, with some workers laid off, a handful offered permanent positions and others only gaining interim jobs until the end of January 2015. Apple reportedly has set up a phone line dedicated to Beats employees to learn about job transitions and severance packages, the report said.
Re/code reported than some 200 of Beats 700 employees have been offered temporary positions that will conclude in a few months.
Initial reports said Beat creative chief Trent Reznor and Beats Music boss Ian Rogers hadn’t yet decided to make the jump to Apple but subsequent accounts from 9to5Mac sources indicated the two execs will join up now that the deal is done. Beats co-founders Jimmy Iovine and Dr. Dre both signed on to work at Apple at the time the purchased was announced.
“We’re excited to have the Beats team join Apple, and we have extended job offers to every Beats employee,” an Apple spokesperson said. “Because of some overlap in our operations, some offers are for a limited period and we’ll work hard during this time to find as many of these Beats employees as we can another permanent job within Apple.”
According to 9to5Mac’s report, Apple is working on moving certain employees and technologies from Beats, telling those workers that it wants to retain and those not included in the transition of its plans. Beats employees in development and creative positions will be offered jobs at Apple’s Cupertino, California, headquarters and other workers in the Beats Music streaming service will be housed at the music company’s Santa Monica, California, offices, the report said.
Beats hardware staffers reportedly will be moved to Apple senior Worldwide Marketing senior vice president Phil Schiller’s group at company headquarters.
