Multiple former technicians who worked at Microsoft's data center in Mount Pleasant say they were laid off unexpectedly after relocating from out of state for what they believed would be long-term opportunities.
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The workers say they were hired through TEKsystems, a contractor for Microsoft. They received an email Wednesday, February 25, from a TEKsystems Delivery Lead that read in part:
"The work performed on the project at the Fairwater site has exceeded expectations and there is not enough remaining work available for this project for our current size team so, we are reducing consultant headcount effective immediately."
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TMJ4's Meryl Hubbard spoke with five former employees. One of them, who asked to be identified only as Chuck to avoid retaliation in future job searches, moved from the East Coast in January and says he was laid off after just four weeks of work. He says he used all his savings to relocate.
Watch: Microsoft data center layoffs leave workers stunned after relocating for tech jobs
"A lot of kids like myself were told growing up, 'get into tech. You know, there's this bright, promising future that pays very well,' and I feel like that's a false promise a lot of people need to wake up from," Chuck said.
Chuck, a former TEKsystems data center technician, says the situation has left him in a precarious position and desperate to find a job as soon as possible.
"And now here I am, about to be homeless," Chuck said.
Chuck says workers were led to believe the position could lead to permanent employment with Microsoft directly.
"They mentioned TEKsystems actually encourages flipping to a Microsoft full-time employee. So the entire plan was just a pipeline into Microsoft," Chuck said.
He says the layoffs point to a larger problem in the industry.
"It's indicative of an erosion of workers' rights, especially in the tech industry, that is unsustainable," Chuck said.
Jose, a former TEKsystems data center technician, who was among the first to reach out to TMJ4, says he did not have to relocate but worked at the center for just one month before being let go. He says workers were hired as at-will employees, but their expectations were raised high.
"There was that insinuation that, hey, you know what, this is going to be big for everybody," Jose said.
Jose says his motivation for speaking out was the workers who uprooted their lives for the opportunity.
"I did this more for the people who actually did, you know, pack up and leave. You know, they left their lives behind for bigger and better things, and only for this to happen," Jose said.
Microsoft is investing billions of dollars in Wisconsin for what it calls the world's most powerful AI data center. A Microsoft spokesperson sent a statement that read in part:
“As with any construction project, Microsoft’s work in Mount Pleasant involves various subcontractors and partners with planned, limited-term employment, including recent work substantially completed as a result of a short-term contract with TekSystems.”
The former employees say this was a mass layoff. TMJ4 reached out to TEKsystems multiple times through calls and emails to confirm how many workers were laid off and to get additional context, but did not receive a response.
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