Thread regarding Optum layoffs

If you have hit your deductible, go see a therapist or someone due to the stress from all the layoffs and get UHG to pay some $$.

The days or trying to be good stewards of the company are long gone.

Any updates?

Pros? What pros? Please share the Pros about woeking for this company besides the paycheck that I earned because I work for it. What are the pros?

Do people not understand? It will never be over. They will gut US workers and offshore and automate anything they can. Nobody is safe. Ever. The safest place to be is in a "keeping the lights on" department, but even that's not safe. And if you think your excellent performance reviews over many years will save you, think again. If you think you're irreplaceable because you're the only one in a department who is doing a particular job, think again.

Who stays and who goes often has nothing to do with your performance or your role. Some layoffs are no-brainers: low performers, duplication–too many BAs or what have you. Other cuts seem crazy or mysterious but might be a simple as "We need to get rid of a 20 grade 27 BAs." And they take a look (or a program takes a look), and analyze all the variables: age, s-x, pay, race, performance reviews, etc. Layoffs need to look like there is no discrimination going on–whether it be age, s-x, s-xual orientation disability, race, religion, etc. So you might be the one who gets the ax just because they needed to lay off ______________ (fill in the blank).

The cuts in the last 3 months, however, seem especially crazy and poorly executed–no pun intended. You lose people on your team that you need but then you get someone from another team and nobody is sure how he fits. Eventually you figure it out, but it doesn't make up for the people who were lost that your team actually needed in order to get the work done. The new team member isn't going to do one of your axed team member's work, they are going to do something else.

But I would respectfully disagree with the person who says to put forth minimal effort. Your best effort just might put you one point ahead of someone in the great variable scheme of things, so you stay and they go.

This year has been particularly brutal, and I don't think anybody feels very good about working for this company anymore–if they ever did. Morale is in the c-apper, everyone is afraid of losing their jobs, tempers are short, it's hard to concentrate when job loss could mean financial ruination, but like I said, if you think the layoffs are going to stop, you're out of touch with reality. I wager they'll slow down at some point in the future, but they'll never stop completely.

I've worked here so long that I really don't know if it's any better somewhere else, but I suspect that any company that rivals the size of this one is about the same. We may be in a worse position (being in health insurance) not knowing what's going to happen with the next presidential election, but the larger the company the better the "pros" and the the worse the "cons." We are currently feeling the cons much more than the pros.

Lastly, this is not our parents' job market, or the job market you started off in when you were young. Being loyal to a company means nothing anymore. It really used to, and I think we still want to believe that's the world we live in. But it's not. I see that in so many of the posts on this site–someone who's worked here 20 years and they're shocked that their hard work and loyalty, in the end, didn't matter one bit. That's the world we live in now. Having a mentally ill (I'm being nice by just calling him mentally ill) president of the United States hasn't helped matters either.

So good luck to all of us in the next wave of layoffs!

January layoff decisions won't be finalized until 4th qtr financials have been calculated (and very likely before publication). If 2019 layoffs don't correct the current shortfall against the avaricious growth targets, we'll get to have another go at cutting enough folks to make it so. You're already used to doing the jobs of three people due to past cuts and to performing miracles with no staff or budget; should be no problem adding another job to your plate.

Exactly!!!!! Even giving my best still ended in misery so...... yea do what is best for YOU and YOUR family above all else and Hoping we all find freedom soon!

If anyone is panicked and frozen in place here is what to do: Give minimal effort. Period. Don’t worry if your work isn’t done bc workforce management ain’t your problemif you are frontline or clinical!! Just sit back and watch the company crumble. If you are too scared to jump ship I get you cuz then leaving means no unemployment if you can’t find work right away to leave. Wait for them to lay you off or terminate you so you can at least force them to pay state unemployment on your behalf....while you look for something better...Haaaa

Anyone know what areas will be impacted?

I suspect they must be keeping January layoff plans quiet. But Jan is a great time to seek employment. What is bizzare is anyone of us here in denial that things will improve. I think the denial is ending thank God. To think pending layoffs and terminations don’t impact your peace of mind as an employee is craziness. I think we are all looking for greener pastures now. Praying all get better stability elsewhere!!

Rumor has it that NL will be impacted in January or March due to contracts not renewing for 2020.

The next layoff will be in late Feb/early March. The hiring freeze is still in effect.

They are probably going to backfill the eliminated positions in different locations after Q1 2020.