Thread regarding AT&T layoffs

TW Negotiations at higher levels

Seems upper and mid management have been having discussions lately about who will be teleworkers. I know with us it’s a battle between 5th and 6th level and I saw one other poster said similar. With us it’s 100% denial so far. Any others with insights on discussions

by
| 2314 views | | 14 replies (last ) | Reply
Post ID: @OP+1mTGCkwD

14 replies (most recent on top)

@tbz+1mTGCkwD If T can't afford to be a telework organization, how can they afford $1000/mo/employee space for employees?

Twice in my 19 remote years I was told to report to an office only to have it cancelled because my org didn't want to pick up the cost. In one case they would have had to run a network line to an office at a cost of thousands.

Collaboration by proximity is nonsense if have more than one hub. Legg himself is remote from Stankey. How's that for "collaboration"? How nimble can groups be if the expectation is "be down the hall" or we won't get anything done, or when market forces or outside events force changes that "collaborative hubs" would take six months or more to respond to?

There was an external event where AT&T was collaborating while being almost 100% remote. The only people lost at sea were the one who can't use telecomm products. Like our senior leaders, apparently.

by
| | Reply
Post ID: @lwl+1mTGCkwD

It really comes down to the work your org performs, where people are currently located and can they do the work virtually if they are nowhere near a hub.

If you’re part of an agile scrum team, the consensus is that you have to be in the same room to collaborate. PI planning, stand ups, etc. Much of Legg’s group and other technical groups are like that so it is what it is.

If your org is already spread out with several key folks outside of hubs and always have been, you might be OK for the time being. It really just depends.

by
| | Reply
Post ID: @wou+1mTGCkwD

Virtual status are reserved for senior levels and new hire to entice young d-mb folks

by
| | Reply
Post ID: @nui+1mTGCkwD

It's a 6th level decision (VP is level 5) at this time. No exceptions from what I understand. If you don't have a valid business case that can pass the red face test at Level-6 or a verified medical exemption, you'll be FTO and that's it (basically the FOW policy before COVID).

by
| | Reply
Post ID: @bas+1mTGCkwD

"So how are all the developers in India and Israel supposed to learn the behaviors of their users? They sure as he-l aren't going to be in the same building."

And any collaboration must be done before 10AM, earlier if teammate is in CA. Entire day goes by waiting for answers to questions or tasks to be completed.

by
| | Reply
Post ID: @epp+1mTGCkwD

Our VP has played favorites for years. Really shut out hard working good people to protect his friends who weren’t as competent or just not as dedicated.
However and fortunately, SVPs are taking charge and VPs don’t have as much of a say.
It’s about time Dallas figured out VPs got waaayy too comfortable and don’t really make decisions on what’s best for the business.

by
| | Reply
Post ID: @lej+1mTGCkwD

Anyone who thinks this is about employee's learning other parts of the business or that AT&T can no longer afford to be a teleworker organization are either people not based in reality or a shill for this effort to their overlords. I will agree there are a ton of people who should not be working VO and there are a ton of people who were no more productive in the office than there were VO. First problem is AT&T makes it to hard to fire people who suck. I have worked with countless people who have been pushed on other managers because it was easier than firing them. If we removed all those people we could be very productive.

Second almost 50% of the CSO organization has been VO for decades and have done a great job at protecting the company. For those that were rocking it VO before the pandemic this does not make sense, especially for those who are not in one of the hub locations.

I have heard countless times how we were going to cross train and it has never happened. Even in the same building developers learning how end users use the portals would be easier through screen sharing than trying to jam two people into a cubicle. Dont for a second think this is about that. This feels more retaliatory because people who were office workers refused to go back to the office after the pandemic and many said, why should I go to the office when most of my team is in other parts of the country, management decided they would remove that reason from the conversation, hence the hub locations.

by
| | Reply
Post ID: @ukv+1mTGCkwD

So how are all the developers in India and Israel supposed to learn the behaviors of their users? They sure as he-l aren't going to be in the same building.

by
| | Reply
Post ID: @vxn+1mTGCkwD

"The goal is for collaboration to allow employees to learn completely different parts of the business through onsite collaboration. As an example, project managers can learn how to better assist sales efforts Developers can get a better understanding of how end users interact with their programs and common issues. Los of possibilities."

Ha! You must be new to AT&T...that sh-t has never happened even before COVID, ain't gonna happen now.

by
| | Reply
Post ID: @tpu+1mTGCkwD

No more than 10% will be teleworkers from all emails that went out. What we’ve been told is to get teleworker you will need to have a medical reason or have a specialized skill set that is needs of the business. We were also told that you have to have a permanent address in your designated work location, so no flying/driving in every week renting something and flying/driving back.

by
| | Reply
Post ID: @xdu+1mTGCkwD

The goal is for collaboration to allow employees to learn completely different parts of the business through onsite collaboration. As an example, project managers can learn how to better assist sales efforts Developers can get a better understanding of how end users interact with their programs and common issues. Los of possibilities.

by
| | Reply
Post ID: @kit+1mTGCkwD

The current expectation from EVP that all workgroups will be 100% office designation (3-5 days per week). No VP will stick their necks out on this topic.

by
| | Reply
Post ID: @zoj+1mTGCkwD

T can no longer afford to be a telework organization.

by
| | Reply
Post ID: @tbz+1mTGCkwD

What org/function are you in? Sales? Enterprise ?

by
| | Reply
Post ID: @ehv+1mTGCkwD

Post a reply

: