Keeping it simple. On the CTX Town Hall this morning, a question was asked:
"For those who are affected and can't move, will a severance be offered?"
And the answer from the leadership was a simple:
"Yes"
(On a similar note, an answer to relocation packages question was a quick "No")
So, while we still don't have all the details on this, can we please stop spreading the bs that no severances will be offered to anyone affected by this initiative?
People, remaining employed by AT&T is not worth disrupting your life and your entire family's lives over! This company is in a downward spiral that it can't recover from for at least 7-10 years. You rest assured that there will be more layoffs even if you do relocate with their Hub program! The company is flawed, the writing is on the wall. Don't do it, you'll regret it! I've been with this company for almost 4 decades and trust me, it's never been this bad!
How long do we have to decide if we are going to relocate or not and still qualify for severance? There's no way the company will let you hem and haw for 6 months before declining to report to the new location and then still pay you out to leave. And what about waves 2 and 3? You might get 2-3 years to actually make the move, but when do you have to commit to it?
AT&T Wordsmithing.. sounds like relocation is AT&T paying for it. Not the case!! you can move, and incur all costs including selling your home if applicable on your dime!! AT&T is not paying for your relocation. If you want to keep your job, you can relocate.. as far as severance, that is clear as mud.
Listened to the Zee call today and asked the question about relo and severance package.. As suspected, both on a case by case basis (L4+ probably although not specified). Meaning if you dont show up to your newly assigned location, you would be given 3 chances to show up and then fired. No consideration for distance from location.
In the Corey Anthony town hall he said folks would be eligible for severance. He said it was in the plan. Like someone said below, there is a reference to structural changes which may be what Corey is referring to. Perhaps when more details are released about the current RTO there will be a distance stipulation.
Curious where the "greater that 50 miles away" is coming from... Its not in the Severance Pay Plan document. There is nothing in that document that indicates a distance requirement. It does talk about Structureal changes, however it does say " an individual is NOT an eligible Employee and is NOT eligible for benifits under this plan (even if shch employee has received an SNL) if... (H) ... violation of the code of Business Conduct"
Additionally, in the On the How and Where We Work Policy document, "employees who are not meeting their work location reporting expectiations .... may be subject to discipline up to and including termination"
"In the example you provided, they were just allowed to stay, but laid off later, in a separate initiative."
It's the same initiative. It's obvious that multiple surplus targeted employees not in collaboration zones, but it's never in the writing. No new work location was assigned prior to the layoff.
However, this time may be different because of the official announcement of work location consolidation. Due to the scale, I wonder if AT&T can afford to pay so many employees severance in such short period of time. Let's say 10K employees refused to relocate and everyone gets $50K severance, then the total payout will be half a billion dollars. This will add even more stress to the cash flow. They'll probably come up with tactics to avoid or reduce severance pay.
"Back in 2019 when the company was pushing collaboration zones, I knew a guy who originally agreed to relocate to Middletown to avoid surplus, but then backed out his promise without actually moving. A few months later during the next round of surplus, he was let go with full severance package. So from this example, if you were asked to relocate but did not follow the order, you are still entitled to severance package. Don't give up too easily."
Well, maybe. In the example you provided, they were just allowed to stay, but laid off later, in a separate initiative. It might play out like this, but it also might not. The deal might be take it now and go, or try to move, but if you don't, you don't get it. If they for some reason decided to keep you anyway, but in a year or two lay you off, as a whole new round of lay-offs, unrelated to this RTW thing, you should qualify for severance. Or they might just fire you without, for failing to show up to work.
get it in writing is all I am saying
Back in 2019 when the company was pushing collaboration zones, I knew a guy who originally agreed to relocate to Middletown to avoid surplus, but then backed out his promise without actually moving. A few months later during the next round of surplus, he was let go with full severance package. So from this example, if you were asked to relocate but did not follow the order, you are still entitled to severance package. Don't give up too easily.
No we can’t stop spreading the truth. Wait and see. Paying you for leaving is going away. Some people can’t accept the truth.
Dream on people. The well is dry.
Yeah, ok man... you can call it hush money if you want. I just look at it as money that I can use to pay my bills until I find a new, better job. Then the life moves on.
They will pay you hush money when they fire you, if you sign your rights away in a short period of time to do so. Cheaper and more definitive for them than a ton of lawsuits. You'll get your money after your suffering here ends, just like a trump ho gets the cash after services performed, and also for a catch and ki-l story. Congrats telecom ho.
" If you dont show up to your assigned work location, its considered a violation of the Code of Business Conduct and if you read the Severance Pay Plan document, termination due to a violation of the Code of Business Conduct makes you ineligible for the severance package"
Read the policy and educate yourself. If you are informed that your job is moving, and you are unable/ unwilling to relocate (KEY: this location would have to be greater that 50 miles away)...you would be involuntarily terminated due to "business/ structural" changes. And you would be eligible for severance.
The policy is clear. Stop with all the nonsense.
"If you dont show up to your assigned work location, its considered a violation of the Code of Business Conduct and if you read the Severance Pay Plan document, termination due to a violation of the Code of Business Conduct makes you ineligible for the severance package."
This is what makes me think that committing to moving... and then failing to do so for whatever reason, may disqualify people from severance. So a tough choice might have to be made much sooner than many anticipate.
For management, the severance policy still applies. In it you are eligible if asked to relocate and refuse
"If you dont show up to your assigned work location, its considered a violation of the Code of Business Conduct and if you read the Severance Pay Plan document, termination due to a violation of the Code of Business Conduct makes you ineligible for the severance package. Not saying they will go this route, but its definitely a possibility and given the way this has gone so far, wouldnt surprise me if they fired people for cause to save $$$"
If this was true, there would never be a traditional surplus ever. They would just reassign the people they want gone to some location that is infeasible for them to get to and then fire them for not showing up.
Unless they change the policy, severence is applicable when your location assignment changes by more than some number of miles.
"If you dont show up to your assigned work location, its considered a violation of the Code of Business Conduct"
This likely applies to those who lives within a reasonable commute distance from their assigned work location. If it wasn't, then every company in America would have had a perfect loophole to fire whomever they want whenever they want without severance or unemployment for years, right?
If you dont show up to your assigned work location, its considered a violation of the Code of Business Conduct and if you read the Severance Pay Plan document, termination due to a violation of the Code of Business Conduct makes you ineligible for the severance package. Not saying they will go this route, but its definitely a possibility and given the way this has gone so far, wouldnt surprise me if they fired people for cause to save $$$
"Some will look to take advantage of "generous" relocation services, Stankey said:"
https://seekingalpha.com/news/3972257-att-shrinking-office-footprint-calls-managers-back-to-work-most-of-week
Thanks for the information. I truly hope that will apply to my group as well, since I am unable to relocate. But honestly, we've heard nothing from our management. When we ask, they tell us that they don't know any more than we do. I'd rather be pleasantly surprised than disappointed.
Thanks for this post and finally putting to rest all that fake news about no severance and no unemployment benefits to those who won’t relocate. No more trolling and bs. Corporate trolls go and troll some place else.
Thanks for the information. I truly hope that will apply to my group as well, since I am unable to relocate. But honestly, we've heard nothing from our management. When we ask, they tell us that they don't know any more than we do.
Follow up. I will grant one point. It might not be "widely" available, meaning to everyone. So if someone lives within (what they consider) a reasonable distance to a hub, and just don't want to commute, there might not be that kind of option, but the way I understand it, if you're several hours away, or even in another state, you should be able to get it. The problem is with many common statements that there will be no severance offered, period, when the information we have so far, indicates otherwise.
It is mentioned. It's in the FAQ too. And they don't shy away from confirming it will be available on calls. What other kind of confirmation do we need? Like I said, we don't have the exact details, my guess is that it will be either take it now, or try to find another position or relocate and if you can't, you don't get it, but one way or the other, they're saying, clearly enough, that it will be offered.
Its not BS. Don't be fooled or be a fool. If severance was widely available it would be mentioned. This is a follow the work exercise not a surplus. Surpluses will come later.