Chrysler may avoid white-collar layoffs

So many of Chrysler’s salaried employees took voluntary buyout packages the company may not need to resort to involuntary separations. In late October, the company said it needed to cut about 5,000 of its 17,300 white-collar workers worldwide. To achieve this goal, every employee, regardless of seniority was eligible for a package that could include a lump-sum buyout offer, new car vouchers and some health care.

On Friday, Chrysler spokeswoman Lori McTavish said, “We’re fairly certain we’ve achieved our target and won’t have to do any involuntary layoffs for the end of the year.”

Thousands of employees, including Ed Saenz, another long-time Chrysler spokesperson, took the offers and worked their last day on Wednesday. So many workers opted to leave, some departments actually had to offer some of them a temporary extension to get the company through December and into 2009 when a restructured personnel plan goes into effect.