Lexmark International has laid-off an unspecified but "relatively small number of Lexmark's US marketing and sales" employees according to Kathy Hillyard, Lexmark's manager of corporate citizenship and inclusion.
"Employees are going to transition out through the end of the year, so it isn't anything that is taking place today. Employees are learning of the realignment, reorganization today," Hillyard said.
The downsizing affects employees across the United States, and at different levels of the sales and marketing team. Hillyard said today's actions are a result of reorganization and restructuring, not due to the country's economic woes.
"We are definitely being sensitive to employees as we implement the changes, any separation with these employees will include early retirement benefits for those who are eligible, severance pay, extension of medical insurance and career assistance benefit as we do when we have a separation with employees. It's just an unfortunate but necessary part of the restructuring right now," she said.
The company did not issue a public release on the downsizing, which Hillyard attributes to the small number of employees affected.
Lexmark employs around 4,000 people in Lexington, Hillyard said, with 3,000 of those employees being full-time regular staff.