#culture

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What's the deal with Humana's 6-week maternity leave?

I'm considering working at Humana but the 6-week paid maternity leave seems really short compared to their competitors.

It makes me wonder about what they actually value as a company. Has anyone worked there and can tell me what they're really like?"Retry


Culture on a Stationary Bike: The Great Corporate Spin

BNY Mellon recently declared that “culture isn’t built in conference rooms—it’s built in moments like this,” referring to a stationary bike marathon.

One bike, eight hours, and a simple question: How far can we go when everyone contributes their energy to a shared goal?

Apparently, the answer is: not very far, especially if the goal is building a healthy organizational culture.

THE THEATER OF PEDAL-POWERED CULTURE

Let’s pause to admire the sheer audacity of this metaphor.

Culture, we are told, is not about trust, transparency, or leadership—it’s about sweating together in a room while hashtags flutter overhead like corporate confetti. (#BNYLife, #BNYBetterthanSlicedBread, #FreeCoffee, #EmpathyLivesHere, #WellnessinLayoffs…)

Employees were encouraged to cheer, laugh, and pedal as if their collective energy could erase the memory of strategic missteps, toxic work environments, and the erosion of morale.

It was less “culture in motion” and more “culture in denial.”
The strongest cultures, we’re assured, are defined by shared experiences. True—but those experiences usually involve competent leadership, clear communication, and respect. Not a spin class disguised as a corporate epiphany.

FAILED LEADERSHIP: THE REAL RESISTANCE SETTING

BNY’s leadership seems convinced that culture is a cardio exercise. Yet the risks of failed leadership are far more serious than a skipped workout:

• EROSION OF TRUST & MORALE: Employees don’t lose faith because they missed a turn on the bike. They lose faith when leaders fail to demonstrate character, competence, and connection.
• POOR STRATEGIC EXECUTION: Pedaling in circles is a perfect metaphor for what happens when vision and goals are disjointed. The bike goes nowhere, much like projects derailed by ineffective communication.
• TOXIC WORK ENVIRONMENT: Micromanagement and favoritism can’t be fixed with cheering. Burnout isn’t solved by hashtags.
• DECLINE IN PRODUCTIVITY & INNOVATION: Employees aren’t reluctant to share ideas because they lack cardio endurance. They’re reluctant because poor leadership discourages collaboration and risk-taking.
• RESISTANCE TO CHANGE: Leaders who cling to outdated processes create stagnation. A stationary bike is, after all, the ultimate symbol of motion without progress.
• FINANCIAL & REPUTATIONAL DAMAGE: No amount of sweaty selfies can offset declining market and client confidence or reputational hits.

Culture isn’t built on hashtags—it collapses under them.

WHAT A HEALTHY CULTURE ACTUALLY REQUIRES

A healthy culture is not defined by how many miles a stationary bike records. It is defined by:

• TRUST & TRANSPARENCY: Leaders who communicate openly, even when the news is hard.
• STRATEGIC CLARITY: Goals that align with reality, not spin cycles.
• RECOGNITION & FAIRNESS: Environments where employees are valued for real contributions beyond their ability to pedal.
• ADAPTABILITY & GROWTH: Investment in skills, technology, careers and people—not just in stationary bikes.

Culture is built when employees feel safe, supported, and respected—not when they are asked to cheer through layoffs disguised as “shared energy.”

CLOSING SPIN

BNY’s leadership insists that “the strongest cultures are defined by what people experience together.” True enough. But what employees are experiencing together is distrust, burnout, and the gnawing suspicion that hashtags are being used as wallpaper over cracks in the foundation.

Culture is not built on hashtags or stationary bikes. It is built on character, competence, and connection. These traits are somehow not found in our current senior leadership.

Until BNY trades its spin bikes for self-awareness, accountability, and genuine investment in people, the only thing truly “in motion” will be the revolving door of talent being intentionally shoved out the door or willingly heading for healthier organizations.


CLAIM JOBS WILL NEVER MOVE TO THE HUBS

With all the changes the new leadership over P & C claims are implementing across all of p&c they will never get these claim jobs moved into the hubs. Not Injury, not TL, not fire, not Sub, not Property. There is to much for new hires to learn and retain, they will not stay. What we have in the hubs now cannot do the work. We will work from home forever or until they make us miserable enough to quit.


Fire the id--ts that should be interfacing systems together

How fuc_ing stupid is a company that knowingly wastes 20% of its employees time do to having to log in to disparate systems many many times a day.

Fire these incompetant people and get real engineers that know how to make this all seamless!


Verizon Never A Truly Great Company

@"the men and women who built this into a once great company."

Seriously, Verizon was NEVER a "Great" company. They never invented any groundbreaking technologies nor created any new markets nor set any significant business or technology trends.

Verizon (Bell Atlantic & Nynex) was spawned from AT&T (AKA, "Ma Bell") and grew primarily thru acquisitions (GTE, Alltel, MCI and potentially Frontier). Yes, they built out an excellent network but their real success come from leveraging sheer mass scale.

AT&T and IBM would be examples of truly great companies. Verizon is an "also ran" company who's day in the sun is fading because it ignored it's customers.


Leadership? More like “tell me what to do, boss”

Just walked out of a meeting with a group of “leaders” — directors all the way up to VPs. Everyone’s going around the room giving intros, talking about their orgs, their priorities, the usual corporate spiel.

Then it gets to this senior director, and his intro is literally:
“My job is to follow my manager’s vision and implement it.”

I had to stop myself from laughing.
At that level, you’re supposed to set direction, challenge strategy, bring clarity — not proudly announce that you’re basically an order-taker with a fancy title.

It’s wild how many people get promoted into leadership roles and still operate like junior ICs waiting for instructions. No ownership, no autonomy, no original thought… just “tell me what to do boss.”

And the worst part? These are the folks making decisions that impact entire teams.

Makes you wonder what leadership even means anymore.


Move on or jump ship

I have no experience in running a small company, let alone a big one. I can think of a strategy to fire employees to save money and show increased profits to raise share price.

The current ceo with so much experience is coming up with the same strategy to compete with T-Mobile and AT&T!!

I see no future for Verizon. If you get RIFed, think positive and look for a better company.. consider it x years wasted on a company run by people who have no vision.

If you don’t get RIFed, take this as a wake up call to jump ship because it’s sinking.

There is no VTeam feel anymore here. With so much uncertainty, unrealistic deadlines, there is no dignity nor recognition of the hard work done. Simply blackmail tactics.


Reminder to those that need one!!

For all those that need a reminder, while FB and his merry band of c-suite minions were making money off your backs and fluffing investors , they were demanding you badge swipe 5 days a week or lose your job, do 9 hrs not 8:58 or lose your job, work excessive overtime or lose your job, make sure you are on your computer for 8 hrs or lose your job, move or lose your job, get a jab or lose your job, cut bonuses two years in a row while collecting their fat bonuses, slapped each other on the back for doing so well in Argentina while the people suffered with sky high inflation, do the job of 3 people or lose your job. They use you while they collect millions for doing a horrible job. We were running a company!! No you weren’t it was a smoke and mirrors so they could get richer. The BOD is complicit as well. Useless group. Got it!! Stop caring and live free.


Public, Confidential, Highly Confidental.

If everyone just boilerplats "confidental" on everything, does that mean nothing is confidential? You just know no one takes the time to think about it - therefore it's useless.

Should just default it to "confidental" and be done with it- and save us 3 clicks everytime we touch a document. SMH

That drill is SO ANNOYING. Who thought this was a useful idea? Using tech to hassle everyone. Great.


8 hour Tracking

My manager came up to me yesterday and said, “I’ve noticed you haven’t been here for the full eight hours. People are talking. Leadership’s watching badge logs. I can’t have you leaving at 2 or 3.”

They’re building a list of everyone not clocking the full eight hours. Anyone on that list moves straight to the front of the line. Three warnings, she said, and you’re out.

I have to pick up my kids and they are not even being flexible for families. What the heck is going on? My husband wants me to find another job.


Scott Kirby (United CEO) is right. Customer experience improvements are just “table stakes”

A good read that relates to us right now

https://onemileatatime.com/news/united-ceo-scott-kirby-confidently-declares-american-cooked/

Replace with Verizon and we can all relate

"The current narrative among [Verizon]American executives is that everything they’re doing right now is to “focus on the customer.” The problem is, that’s not enough. [Verizon] American’s Chief Customer Officer has said that a reliable schedule is just “table stakes” at this point.

But the reality is that even customer experience improvements are just “table stakes,” when you’re competing against [T-Mobile]Delta and [Verizon]United. What else ya got? There needs to be a bigger strategy, and employees need to be excited about it.

The problem with [Dan] Isom at [Verizon]American is that he’s neither some brilliant strategy guy, nor is he a football coach type, like McCartney references. McCartney is exactly right — “once you lose labor, it’s over,” and “it may take a couple of years or whatever, but it’s over.” [Dan] Isom isn’t a football coach, he’s the captain of a lost ship with no navigation that’s just going deeper into the ocean. And maybe that sounds harsh, but c’mon, [Verizon]American lost money in Q3 2025, which is supposed to be one of the better quarters.

It's been a been a bumpy last 20 years here. I will miss many of you! Wish us luck in the job hunt!

Lets find employment where the EMPLOYEES are VALUED FIRST!!


No Individual Performance Impact on Bonuses

With the new performance framework being introduced they’re removing any incentive for high performers to go above and beyond, as their peers who perform below average will receive the same bonuses.

Meanwhile they keep repeating ad nauseam that our ambition is to be the #1 sports brand in the world.

It’s clear they want more people to leave.


Optum at home

All of Optum at home needs to be rethought. Leadership in the Midwest is a disgrace, micromanagement is off the charts, leadership is vindictive and retaliatory. They do NOT want to promote you or move you anywhere after hundreds of applications and years into the company. If you say one thing that isn’t liked within Optum you will pay for it until you’re driven to quit from the pressure. This entire company is a disgrace. I PRAY every day I get laid off. Any news for 2026??


One Week before Black Friday, and it’s this bad?

For stores to look they way they do this close to Black Friday is deeply concerning. Everything is being run by text messages, I haven’t seen an actual Belk executive in months. I am under the assumption that the RVP and GVP are stretched so thin, they can’t visit all the stores. Freight is pilling up, call outs are through the roof, payroll is less than previous years, workload planning is a joke.


Sad to see what's become of a once great company

You can't help but wonder why a once great company would purposely hire a corrupt and incompetent CEO knowing that he completely destroyed the previous company from which he came. What's worse, is that thanks to his gross ineptitude, well over 30,000 (and counting) good, hardworking, tenured employees got sc--wed over during his reign. Meanwhile, he gets rewarded and gets to walk away with a 40 million dollar golden parachute fot it. It's criminal.


It’s Time …

https://www.crn.com/news/channel-news/2025/insight-ceo-joyce-mullen-to-retire-leading-insight-has-been-the-pinnacle-of-my-career

It’s time for CL to follow suit here I mean c’mon man — What are she and the board waiting for? How much lower and worse, respectively, does the stock and culture have to rot before she’s out?


Indian Micromanagement at peaks

IT is primarily focused on India, and I dislike this trend. They are the main reason for disruptions in US work culture, often exhibiting micromanagement. We had very great leaders, they were let go to be replaced. Any organizational announcements or changes were only meant to promote "birds of a weather flock together". Look at org chart and when you know budgets are tight, chop off the managed services. Additionally, leadership, including directors and VPs, seems to be accepting kickbacks from managed services to bring in cheaper labor. I'm uncertain about what the future holds for American workers and the next generation. US jobs and companies are for US people not for Asians.


Free Coffee, No Future: The BNY Mellon Story

How our beloved institution seems to have lost its soul and senior talent.

At BNY Mellon, "strategic alignment" appears to be more of a psychological endurance test than a business principle. It feels like we're in a corporate escape room where the clues are cloaked in jargon, the exits are offshored, and the ultimate reward is a Teams meeting with someone fresh out of college who thinks "mainframe" refers to a type of Sleep Number mattress.

Let's start with our CEO, Robin Vince. His leadership style, characterized by vague declarations and performative empathy, seems to ignore the fact that our ship is sinking while they outsource the lifeboats and call the iceberg "cost synergy." His signature look—perpetual five o'clock shadow, freshly steamed suit, and a Rolex Platinum—speaks volumes. While he touts "free coffee in the office" as if it's a groundbreaking perk, jobs are quietly slashed, benefits reduced, promotions frozen, and merit increases become almost laughable. Anything with a cost is either stopped, frozen, or eliminated.

Then there's the Return to Office (RTO) campaign, which was touted as a bold move toward collaboration but ended up feeling more like a scavenger hunt for badge access in a haunted coworking space. Employees were encouraged to "reconnect," only to find their teams had been restructured, relocated, or replaced by someone in Wroclaw who thinks "Waterfall" is a Spotify playlist. The real aim seems to be forcing attrition without paying severance. If you're mid-career, have missed a few badge swipes, work from home, or your office commute now involves multiple transfers and a broken escalator, congratulations—you've been strategically unaligned.

The pattern of layoffs, or "realignments" and "talent redistributions," is another concern. It feels like we're constantly under the threat of being let go, with every "quick sync" or "just checking in" message potentially signaling the end. If you're a male over 40, HR may have already tagged you as "legacy talent"—a polite way of saying "low T, too expensive to keep, too experienced to promote."

Our globalization strategy, which involves sending jobs to India and Poland, complicates things further. The result is a tangled mess of time zones, miscommunication, and Jira tickets bouncing around like the timeline for releasing the Jeffrey Epstein files. Clients notice, deadlines slip, and deliverables vanish, but we're reassured by the opening of a new "Center of Excellence" in a country where no one has met the client or used the software.

The hiring strategy now mirrors a university career fair, favoring fresh grads over seasoned professionals. These new recruits are bright-eyed, bushy-tailed, and completely unqualified, but they're cheap and can build dashboards filled with cat memes and Sora videos. Meanwhile, experienced employees are nudged toward "voluntary transitions" or given roles so meaningless that early retirement becomes an appealing option.

Our product delivery strategy is another area of concern. It feels like a choose-your-own-adventure book where every path leads to a missed deadline. Teams are gutted, timelines are fictional, and clients are reassured with phrases like "we're in the ideation phase" or "we're pivoting to a more scalable solution," which is code for "we have no idea what we're doing."

Finally, when in doubt, we call McKinsey. Their playbook includes renaming layoffs as "talent fluidity," creating dashboards that track morale using emoji reactions, launching pilot programs that solve nothing but look great in slide decks, blaming the org chart and redrawing it using a dartboard, and hosting "strategic engagement sessions" with bagels and muffins, calling it transformation.

In summary, BNY's strategic alignment feels more like a slow, grinding descent into cost-cutting madness masquerading as innovation. The only thing truly aligned is the exit door. If you're still here, congratulations—you've survived another quarter of corporate performance art. Just remember, your resilience isn't a virtue; it's a KPI. Your reward? Free coffee and the privilege of watching your job get reclassified as "non-core" while waiting for your personal release date.


They've basically nuked VBG

Not burnt but nuked, crazy stuff.

It will be a shell of its former self. Brilliant strategy, wireless and broadband, the 2 most commoditized products in the industry, and supposedly a transport provider with the shittiest and smallest footprint fiber network there is.

Old glass doesn't cut it these days.

Good luck to all!