Thread regarding UnitedHealth Group Inc. layoffs

For managers in the know.

Did you have to submit a list or say who was to go first at any time? If so, how far in advance did you give names or have a heads up? Does HR use MAP independently or give name suggestions or is it completely manager/department discretion?

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Post ID: @OP+13tUJPbl

19 replies (most recent on top)

I am disgusted by this company and the lack of integrity and compassion they demonstrate not only to employees but also to clients. They get rid of employees that speak the truth and voice their opinions about the workload and incompetence of the managers and directors.

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Post ID: @6aef+13tUJPbl

I was a 28. My director had to give Minnesota names by the end of December. So some have known about these layoffs for a while.

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Post ID: @2qfb+13tUJPbl

When I did the stack ranking they picked the lowest to lay off

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Post ID: @2hhh+13tUJPbl

Over shore already works on client work that they are not supposed to touch...... hope someone blows the whistle soon.. Ethics!!!

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Post ID: @1jio+13tUJPbl

i highly doubt your manager copied files from your computer onto an external drive. thats a huge no no and im sure somebody flagged that in IT @1vyh+13tUJPbl

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Post ID: @1vbg+13tUJPbl

my manager was very upset about how my layoff was handled. I was told not to talk to anyone on the way out, and not to email anyone. My whole team was very upset about not being able to say goodbye. Another person in the performance monitoring area was laid off at the same time, and was permitted to say his goodbyes by email to his team. A BA in a different team was laid off too, and in her case, her manager contacted her later, and was very supportive to help her in any way he could. He even saved off the information from her PC onto a lan drive, just in case she could think of any documents that would be helpful in her job search. Smart guy, as you can be sure if there was any transition information he needed from her, she would be very cooperative. You can be sure that she will be happy to work for him someday again. Seems that layoffs are handled differently, depending on the skills and nature of the management handling them. In any case, it is common for Optum/UHG to think they're cutting fat, when in reality it is bone and muscle, and critical knowledge that gets cut. It isn't until things really fall apart that they retool and rehire. I'm guessing the real game is to push down the wages, and offshore as much work as possible. Our indian teammates weren't too happy either about my departure, as my work will undoubtedly be dumped on them, with little information about how to do the job (I'm sure the thought is that my job can't be all that complicated, and anyone can do it without much training). As of 2011, Uhg had more employees in India than in the US. Seems UHG is becoming a foreign based company, at this rate! That will likely continue to happen, until there is a serious breach of information some day, and then it will be too late.

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Post ID: @1vyh+13tUJPbl

For the manger that stated you had to supply the ranking. Did HR go by your lowest ranking or were there any surprises?

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Post ID: @1pkf+13tUJPbl

I was asked to outline my employees job responsibilities and had to stack rank them several weeks prior to the layoff. Wasn’t told why the info was needed. Was told few days before lay-off which employees I had to let go. Could not give them a heads up. Specific procedures had to follow and script we couldn’t deviate from. Hardest thing I’ve ever had to do and I didn’t have any control of the outcome.

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Post ID: @1xla+13tUJPbl

I'm curious how they are selecting these employees. I am still here but as most of us who are still here, we're all just trying not to stress or worry too much about it. It's like "whatever happens, happens" and we'll go from there. I heard about the recent lay off last week and we're expecting another one the first week of March, so the rumors have been said. This is really sad, the way the company has become, there are no values being implemented, the company has really become a corporate greed. I agree with the other anonymous poster, Karma, it's real. A lot of us have families, kids, a lot of people they let go have been with the company for 20+ years, it's terrible.

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Post ID: @1leb+13tUJPbl

Do not quit! Make a backup plan but don’t quit. Karma is a beautiful thing and IT will come back and bite them.... this will eventually make the news. It only takes one person to not sign the documents and file a lawsuit.

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Post ID: @dtz+13tUJPbl

@ukt+13tUJPbl - Some managers are told and some are not. It really depends what area you're in and what gets shared down from the upper levels. I know a 29 and 30 that are still there. The 29 was told about the 2/6 wave about 2 weeks beforehand but couldn't say anything. The 30 wasn't told anything about the 2/6 wave before it happened.

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Post ID: @xbu+13tUJPbl

Sorry – I don't buy that managers don't know who is being laid off. Maybe they don't know if they are being laid off but if the aren't, I don't buy they don't know.

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Post ID: @ukt+13tUJPbl

I was a 28 and was let go on 10/2. My severance letter was dated mid September so this was well planned and there were people that knew it was coming. How many levels up had knowledge about it? I don't know. The look on my manager's face in my layoff meeting told me that he had no idea this was coming.

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Post ID: @uzq+13tUJPbl

I’m a 28 and knew 4 weeks before 2/6. None of my direct reports were let go but others from our department were. Honestly I did not believe my manager when they said I was not effected until 2/7 when I found out who was actually let go.

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Post ID: @vso+13tUJPbl

All departments handled it differently. The names were provided in advance (they have to be) but how the decisions were made depended on the manager “in the know”. Some likely used MAP alone, some who they thought would fit the future changes best, etc. If a manager was laying off a manager and staff several layers beneath them, they are likely using MAP because that’s all they have.

Most remaining managers I know are very, very upset. Concerned about those let go, and concerned about how to support those remaining. I’ve watched fellow managers be let go, critical departments let go, offshoring doing a bad job, etc. This came from pretty high up. Most managers I know are struggling with having no control and feeling like they let their teams down-even though they were surprised their teams were involved and had no say.

I’m a senior manager checking this site for news because we aren’t being told anything either.

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Post ID: @ktj+13tUJPbl

I agree with the others. These decisions on who goes are done at a very high level (above Vice President). I spoke with two VPs who were let go in 2019 and neither of them had a clue it was coming.

My hunch is salary is a much bigger factor than performance.

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Post ID: @yej+13tUJPbl

I was a 29 and let go. My boss said that he had nothing to do with it or say and I believe him

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Post ID: @ufk+13tUJPbl

For the 02/06/20 layoff aka RIF leaders had to give the names of the employees to laid off by 12/31/19. UHG has been lay-offing employees since May 2019. Although October 2019 was one of the largest and they will continue through 2021. Next one will be in March and Optum will get hit hard. Get as out as you can.

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Post ID: @ate+13tUJPbl

I’m a GL 28 and was not consulted in any way. Notified a few hours before my team. Leadership above me knew for at least 2-3 weeks from what I can tell.

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Post ID: @vol+13tUJPbl

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