Why company is asking 50% of employees to work from office? This is pandameic situation and management wants thier employees to come to office. This is absolutely risky decision.
25 replies (most recent on top)
Correcting someone's previous statement, OFD offices are WFH until further notice not a set number of days. I have no idea what is happening on the OFS side. I'm OFD and I've been told don't go into the office and not likely to return for at least 30 days. But now that NY is under a 90 lock down we may mirror that in our other sites.
I haven't heard this rumor .... yet. I'm curious what employees they consider able to do without. Also wouldn't the banking, payment and investment industry need to shut down for Fiserv to go semi-idle?
Why would you take an unpaid leave when every SVP and above is banking > $1 million a year and won’t do similar
To FB:
One interesting facet of this crisis is the number of people who are now working from home. I estimate that somewhere between half and two-thirds of the existing labor force should be able to do this, at least much of the time, but are not permitted to do so because of inertia and fear of malingering. One thing we will learn during this period is whether we should be moving more aggressively to offer employees this option and perhaps increase the ability of parents or the disabled to work more in the process. Telecommuting has the potential to reduce business costs for facilities, lessen commuting time, and improve the environment.
Heard a rumor today that the leadership will be asking employees to take a voluntary unpaid leave of absence for at least 2 weeks. While I would definitely be willing to do this, at least for a few weeks, I'm concerned I won't get called back when its over. Seems like a risky move to leave but also if you don't you'll be branded as not a team-player.
So OFD offices are now wfh for 14 days yet Alpharetta is still on a 50/50 rotation
Out of curiosity, those of you saying that the company will capitalize on this virus to layoff employees, why do you think they will not pay severance? Severance is a documented policy for Fiserv, right? I used to work for FD and it was a policy. Granted it was a policy that changed after KKR brought FB in from 2 weeks for every year employed to 1 week but it was still something. I cannot imagine any large company laying off at a time like this without severance.
Suggestion - let us use this thread and board for posting concerns not on layoffs specifically now but tense times with work from home-office and health. We all need to stay in this together, whether current or past Fiserv. With Humor too: I recommended for Alpharetta that the 3 tier parking garage be used with 200 card tables per floor set 10 feet apart per employee, a coffee or drink table with Dewars and soda.
@1nkc+142oqLLR also consider with WFH there will be lower utility costs that FISV has to incur especially if this goes into the summer. Costs will be passed onto the employee working from home. You would think a corporate raider like FB would think of this.
I left 6 months ago but still hold Fiserv stock. I feel for my brothers in Orange. Stay strong and be well because your health is the more important thing.
I worked with these leaders and know them well. They are salivating at being able to use this crisis to lay off staff without severance. The stock will pop at the expense of thousands of jobs
Agreed with another poster here, don't be fooled about the leaders here. This place is run by jackasses who are connected.
Today there are 2173 new cases in states and they are waiting for their employees to work from office.
"Good luck because only half will get called back."
And the half they want back will probably immediately look for somewhere else to go.
It's essentially a stealth layoff without having to pay severance. I guess they can add to that $1.2 billion of run rate savings..."run" meaning employees should run for their lives.
@ @1zpj+142oqLLR. I thought the same thing. Is your statement fact or speculation?
I'm just waiting for the coming mandatory furloughs to preserve cash. They will be coming soon for non-essential personnel beginning the first week in April. This company doesn't have the cash reserves to last long with the debt load. Good luck because only half will get called back.
Don’t assume those leaders have common sense. They are in place because of friendships, not talent
This is the most pathetic decision to ask their employees to work in th office in the middle of pandamic situation. What if the employee does not have his own vehicle? Chances of spreading the virus are more in this case.
At the very least the top brass should be looking out for their wallets. By facilitating WFH it lessens the impact which means the stock price won’t dip as far and will recover better.
So even if they don’t care about the workers they should care enough about themselves to put this into place, at least until there is no more state of emergency.
Those 1st Data executives who came with the merger are anti work from home.
They started a campaign to remove work from home or remove the worker.
Last week they sang a different tune. 2 weeks in the office and 2 weeks home.
This week we heard if the network can't handle the traffic then everyone is going to be back in the office.
These guys are full of sh–z.
@1sjj+142oqLLR provides a great explanation to something that never made a lot of sense. You either have everyone come in or have them all wfh. If you care at all about not spreading the virus then the choice is obvious. The explanation from the previous post makes 100% sense.
If you have everyone wfh and find out that productivity is better or equal to when everyone is in office then your "theory" about we need to collaborate and all be in the office to be effective and productive, goes out the window.
If one has invested a lot in claiming WFH is bad, it does one no favors to discover that a nearly 100% WFH model still gets stuff done - and done well. The only solution is to bring at least half back on-site and claim that was the reason they were able to keep things running.
The VPN excuse is comical and terribly inaccurate. First of all fiserv leadership is 100% in violation governor dewine’s directive. This is not shocking in that they have no concern about associates or decency. But the biggest reason is if 100% remote works, they lose face for firing remote workers. Again, all the while the executives themselves live and work remote
The reply above is surely coming from miserable manager who really doesn't understand business Vs physical security aspect.
The reason for the 50/50 split is capacity concerns with the VPNs. The business has to go on and this was the compromise to packing 100% of people into the office. Assuming your manager implemented it correctly you should be separated from others in your office to maintain the social distance. Of course all of this relies on the fact that your state doesn't implement 'shelter in place' rules that require you to be home with your miserable family 24/7 (I jest, but not really).