Thread regarding AT&T layoffs

Not so stealth really

Last time I checked Atlanta is remote from Dallas, which is remote from Bedminster, and all of it is remote from India in both distance and daytime.

Yep, this is the part that makes no sense. As long as you have a large workforce consisting of contractors who will continue to be VO and / or located in other countries, often in the contractors facility it is hard to make a case that in office will improve collaboration. I will go so far as to say the contractor (in most cases) does not the same vested interest in the success of T as most employees might. Additionally, companies like TechM switch bodies out so there are constant set backs because the team has to bring these folks up to speed. In our group, we cannot get the resume of any candidates, nor can they be interviewed, the contract firm has full control over the people they place on our project.

Ive been VO for 38 years and still work VO. Never went to an office. Saves gas money.

𝑊ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑡𝑦𝑝𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑘 ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑝𝑒𝑜𝑝𝑙𝑒 𝑏𝑒𝑒𝑛 𝑑𝑜𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑚 ℎ𝑜𝑚𝑒 𝑓𝑜𝑟 20+ 𝑦𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑠?

Laundry, wash the car, unload the dishwasher.

And all before the 08:30 meeting.

From then on, it's analysis, developing solutions (usually reports) involving complex data relationships. meetings (where we are looking at network diagrams and tables (and not the conference room table or our coworkers), troubleshooting problems with applications, and that's just me. Others can tell their own stories.

Yes, we take breaks (such as right now), but as others note those of us who have been remote for years before COVID figured it out back literally in the last century—the tech has been there since 1998 or so. Any traveling cross-country to meetings in September 2001 learned pretty quickly how to get the job done remotely.

We respond to escalations. Because we are inherently remote, we can respond to escalations off-hours or on vacation. That's not encouraged or a particularly healthy work style, but I guarantee you it's meant improved results for this company.

Most of us have service awards and special bonuses in our history.

The idea that we would improve collaboration by being in one office in a relatively small cluster is bunk. Most of us have colleagues spread across geography. Unless Stankey wants to build an Apple-style single campus, the work will continue that way. Last time I checked Atlanta is remote from Dallas, which is remote from Bedminster, and all of it is remote from India in both distance and daytime.

This is a cost-reduction move sailing in under the false flag of "collaboration."

could be like it was in the old days and have to move a dozen times in your career.

id consider yourself lucky and was able to telecommute this long.

"If it can be done from home it can be done anywhere." D-mb yet obvious statement to make and its not what you are actually trying to say. Many jobs in this company can be done anywhere you can receive an internet connection. This is a great testament to progress in both our industry and company that there is such flexibility and connection options in the US. Work from home has helped people with disabilities find meaningful employment, and not all jobs need constant lunch meeting and water cooler talk.

You and many others on this site are seeming to imply that since work can be done remotely, it can be just given to the lowest bidder or offshore because it must be easy. This is not the case, ask anyone who works with the large contracting firms, offshored and on opposite hours. Their are large cultural and domain knowledge differences that create all kinds of problems, even more than we have when on-shore folks do it.

So many of you have been in the same organization, department or job for so long you don't realize what AT&T actually does, you believe that what you work on is the center of the company, and you definitely aren't.

I am back at my office everyday, but I could care less if someone I am working with I remote, as long as they get the work done.

OP, you have numbers of people impacted or are you speculating and making a general statement?

What type of work have people been doing from home for 20+ years?”

I am aware of entire teams impacted by this announcement.

What size are these teams and when do they have to relocate to their new hub? With most inclined not to relocate - what do you expect the impact to be if none of the people on these teams you mentioned relocate to their new hub?

100% huh? So you're personally standing behind every remote manager and observe them work? No? Then you don't know what the he-l you're talking about, so maybe you shouldn't.

Letters going out Friday in my org. Conversations being had prior to the email. Nobody is even getting forced to relocate in my Network org. There are dozens of temporary approved locations.

“Slap in the face that I have to come into the office and really work. I've earned the right to do whatever I want at home.”

100% accurate.

Slap in the face that I have to come into the office and really work. I've earned the right to do whatever I want at home.

“ If it can be done from home it can be done anywhere”
Anywhere in the US sure, by an ATT employed US citizen. Some jobs have national security sensitivity. There are so many areas of this company that most don’t know about.

Virtual jobs are top candidates for outsourcing.

“ And no, my role is not one that can be outsourced or offshored.”

If it can be done from home it can be done anywhere.

Not all remote people received letters. This is org by org. Others won’t know their designations until closer to September.

“ Typical Stankey I am an expert at "X" move.”

That is exactly what this is. He’s trying to follow the “smart” people and trying to act smart. Except a lot of the companies that already did RTO are now going back to more TW because there was a loss in productivity with RTO. Instead of people working extra because they were home, people started adhering to stricter 9-5 schedules, thus a loss in productivity. I get RTO if you’re in a group that actually needs to collaborate (sales, marketing, creative, product), but for many we do a lot more administrative or operational roles where you’re coordinating things with people hundreds to thousands of miles away. Doesn’t make sense. Every time I go to the office I sit in a corner and don’t talk to anyone; at least not about anything work related because there’s just no need.

And no, my role is not one that can be outsourced or offshored.

Good leadership is required for successful remote work. How many think T has good leadership?

“ATT slaps long tenured employees in the face!“

They have been doing this for years.

If WFH is a top priority for you, start looking for employment opportunities at other companies.

"What type of work have people been doing from home for 20+ years?”

My director managed 10 years people from various US states and then 9 years people from India/EU. So what would be the added value to do it from the office if his AVP was from another US state also? Dude, wake up, it is 21th century, people don't need to be bonded with particular building to do the job successfully.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.the-sun.com/tech/8424922/att-router-wifi-speed-hacks-tricks/amp/

Worthless post with nothing new. Same exact things been said a million times.

Companies do this all the time, is not personal.

“ OP, you have numbers of people impacted or are you speculating and making a general statement?

What type of work have people been doing from home for 20+ years?”

I am aware of entire teams impacted by this announcement.

The type of work performed from home fir 20+ years is IT and project related.

This is not speculation. I have first hand knowledge.

That is my situation, I have been VO for near 20 years and have won awards and consistently been in the top tiers of the evaluations. There are people working in offices today that have never reached the level of success I have working from home. I am not close to a hub and never have been and am being told I will need to move at some point, well that is not happening. If they said I needed to go back into the local office I would say OK, that kinda sucks but I get it, this moving to hubs is as you put it simply a tactic to reduce headcount. The problem is when you base your reduction on zip code you often are not left with the best employees you have...

OP, you have numbers of people impacted or are you speculating and making a general statement?

What type of work have people been doing from home for 20+ years?

Business needs change over time.

Typical Stankey I am an expert at "X" move.