Thread regarding AT&T layoffs

"Town Halls" are completely stage managed Kabuki theater. I tried to attend one in Bedminster years ago and was turned away. The thing was invitation only. None of the unwashed masses were allowed in. Only the pedigreed sycophants got in.

No such thing as Q&A in these town halls. It's the same across the entire enterprise for all leaders. Those questions submitted last minute are ignored and those difficult ones that are read out have already been reviewed and answer constructed ahead of time to read verbatim with little deviation during the town hall.

If the "question" is framed in such a way as to criticize only, then it's skipped over. The quarterly eNPS was the last actual vessel for transparent feedback this company had and since executives couldn't manipulate it into the green and keep it there, they just got rid of it.

AT&T is not a customer service company and it does not care about employees. Been that way for almost 20 years. As long as you understand that as part of your employment expectations and treat it like the dumpster fire/churn machine it is, then it's a breeze working here.

Bust your azz giving them 110% 8-5 M-F (In the office LOL!!) and nothing else. Don't take work home with you and don't give them free hours over the weekend and you'll be moderately happy working here. You may not get promoted quickly or at all, but you'll be content and well paid until you decide to leave or they tie you up in a surplus.

• “That CSO guy sounded like he had some disease that was going to infect everyone on the stage.”

The CSO guy literally gave everyone in the room COVID.
Good, maybe they’ll push back RTO.

My thoughts from his town hall.

That CSO guy sounded like he had some disease that was going to infect everyone on the stage.

All his reports were even more long winded than Legg. Were told to speak for 5 minutes and almost all spoke for almost twice that long. Probably deliberate so there were no time again for Q&A

I thought when Legg jumped in and interrupted the one in Israel, I thought it was to shut her up or at least try to explain what they were even doing there because it sure wasn't clear their purpose but yet he let her ramble on even longer afterwards.

They decided to read the few questions they asked in the order submitted which really was a stupid method and I was watching which ones she asked and as usual, she skipped over anything tough.

Regarding the different result a couple of people posted about the stock price versus what Jeremy presented - could the difference be, as he said, his included the dividend?

But assuming that all 60% comply, which is unlikely, Legg actually seemed proud of the fact that he would be losing 40% of his workforce. That is a huge number. Clearly, more proof that this effort is more than simply collaboration. Reduction of force is one of the goals.

He is not losing 40% of his workforce. He is losing 40% of the (I think the number is 1500 or 1100ish) 1500 or so in wave 2.

Legg and much of the top leadership should be let go in the next Wave - for ATT execs who don't get results, discourage their employees and blindly follow the Stink....Legg has no business being in his current position....but he will gladly ride it out...

Surpluses targeting Atlanta, NJ, and Seattle are coming after the wave two answers. The yes’s will affect how many. Dallas, Tel Aviv, San Ramon, and India are the only safe places. Congrats to SR, AI saved that location

"Legg is a solid guy. He has demonstrated plenty of patience with all RTO/Relo repeated questions. It's a drag for many, but it's time to move on - one way or the other. "

Hey Jeremy: nice try.

Does management have a union contract that gives them the right to transitional leave?

Not sure about management but for bargained there is a transitional leave of absence, a minimum of 1 day to a max. of 36 months, it's for someone within 3 years of their service pension (rule of 75) and in a surplus or PMR situation. It isn’t paid but one can keep their company paid medical, dental, vision benefits and group life.

The employee may work for another employer during the leave, with certain restrictions. Employee must retire upon ending the leave and won’t have any return rights. Your service pension amount is based on the years of service upon starting the leave and age at the end of the leave. There are deductions for anything less than 56 years old. Example, 49 year old. (56 - 49) x 6% = 42% deduction. Better than 0.

• “This comment reeks of hurt feelings.”

No u.

"You’d be crying too if you actually ever made that much money in your life."

This comment reeks of hurt feelings.

“Germy JackLegg” is like his other C suite cohorts…a pernicious, capricious, arrogant, (grossly) overpaid Machiavellian.

• “F'in crybabies. Sheesh.”

If you factor in interest rates, the cost of moving cross country, the possible loss of return on selling your current home, the loss of a 3% mortgage, etc etc…the cost of relocating for AT&T without some relocation package can push 6-figures.

You’d be crying too if you actually ever made that much money in your life.

• “I did 2023 stock return on same stocks, very different results. Must be something I did wrong!?”

I have half my port in hi-cap, small/mid index funds and the other half is ‘self-managed’
My return 2023 was 32% roughly.
I consistently always sold T stock when it hit the account, and put it into something tech (APPL, TSLA, NVDA, ORCL, NFLX, etc) and sold portions or all of positions when they reached ~20% or greater gains if I felt the rise was unsustainable.

I’m already up ~7% this year using the same strategy. My portfolio basically doubled in 2023, and I hope to get 30+% this year as well, beating the market and seriously beating T rate of return.

If you’re holding T stock, you’re doing it wrong, I treat T stock as a dry-powder infusion, not a stock grant.

The guy is such a tool, I’m so glad I don’t work for him any longer!

“Received the email stating that I would have to move to Dallas and re-apply for my job. I accepted, was surplussed approximately 2 months later.”
You weren’t qualified for the job.

I did 2023 stock return on same stocks, very different results. Must be something I did wrong!? On the 65% - his own numbers from last town hall show there is a very large difference between saying "yes" and showing up (wave 1). He also didn't say 65% of how many - I expect many/most are going to wait until end of week to respond. 65% of 200 people would be an empty brag. I know some people are saying "yes" - but reality is they will ask for extensions, drag it out, and in end work from an apartment during week because they have X months to MR75. I understand a lot of people in wave 1 locations may not have been in markets where IT jobs are common, but now we are talking about areas that have decent jobs (potentially at a pay cut). I'd take a pay cut over a move on my own dime with a double sized mortgage payment - even for a company I respected. Answer for me was an easy "NO". I'd be shocked based on talking with my peers if they got over 35% and would guess a chunk of those don't plan on moving or will commute temporarily. The good news is for anyone sticking around is you'll have plenty of work and maybe they won't have quarterly surpluses like happened this week?

F'in crybabies. Sheesh.

Your best bets are to spend the remaining time you have at T, looking for a job outside of T. That way YOU CHOOSE where to live. You retain your dignity.

Yes , the good news for all you is that KNOWING that employees are FORCED to move or lose their jobs, you can DEFINITELY count on getting the BEST deals available.....NOT...You are trapped su---r!!! You'll pay whatever you have to up to your full salary OR LOSE YOUR JOB....is what it is

after i got laid off, i bought rental properties in Dallas...I'm going to charge any AT&T employee double the going rate.

• “YES! Received the email stating that I would have to move to Dallas and re-apply for my job. I accepted, was surplussed approximately 2 months later.”

Bonnie on here telling everyone they’re going to get a COBC violation for lying to upper management (who no one respects anymore) about moving, but will ask people to relocate, let them move, and then fire them anyways with no recourse existing on part of the employee.

And they wonder why assertive smart employees are going to leverage the system and take advantage of it…
News flash, I’m here for MONEY I don’t care about you, the executives, or the company. As soon as I don’t feel like the relationship is to my benefit and I think you’re trying to sc--w me, I’m going to sc--w you back.

I think Stankey would call that “just business”, right?

Deal with it HR.

• “YES! Received the email stating that I would have to move to Dallas and re-apply for my job. I accepted, was surplussed approximately 2 months later.”

Wow, what a bunch of fu--s.
Imagine if you actually moved…
This is why everyone should just be lying.

YES! Received the email stating that I would have to move to Dallas and re-apply for my job. I accepted, was surplussed approximately 2 months later.

• “yeah i pretended to ACCEPT too, got my severance today....good riddance T”

So you said you’d move and they still laid you off?
Interesting.

"The 60-65% acceptance rate for wave 2."

As others have pointed out, that doesn't include those that decide not to move. (Incidentally, I don't think calling this a COB violation preventing unemployment, etc., would hold up in court. There are legitimate reasons why someone could change their mind. )

But assuming that all 60% comply, which is unlikely, Legg actually seemed proud of the fact that he would be losing 40% of his workforce. That is a huge number. Clearly, more proof that this effort is more than simply collaboration. Reduction of force is one of the goals.

yeah i pretended to ACCEPT too, got my severance today....good riddance T

That totally made up stock price chart. Oh boy! Go to yahoo finance and chart one year AT&T stock performance vs t mobile, Verizon and s&p 500 index. This is what you get:
S&P: +20%
T-Mobile: +14%
Verizon: + 0.24%
AT&T: -9.4%
Fact checking numbers real time.

• “Yeah, if you remember from that chart he shared last time, they can’t “find” the people who said they relocated in wave 1. Given that chart and number of people who were randomly assigned virtual, people who need to leave will stay and those who are honest and have skills will leave. Why is boasting about that percentage?”

What do you mean they can’t ‘find’ the people? Like they lost them?
Or do you mean they didn’t actually show up to their new positions and are just working remotely for the most part?

• “Yeah, if you remember from that chart he shared last time, they can’t “find” the people who said they relocated in wave 1. Given that chart and number of people who were randomly assigned virtual, people who need to leave will stay and those who are honest and have skills will leave. Why is boasting about that percentage?”

Exactly, they’re literally going to end up with the worst of the worst left. People who have literally no other options.

Anyone with any actual ability will say ‘well fu-k that’ and apply to a job that will pay them to relocate or let them work remote.

I’m already hearing AT&T recruitment can’t get skilled tech workers (devs) in Dallas and young graduates basically aren’t applying unless they’re basically ones without any other options.

This whole thing is going to be a total disaster.

• “Those who lie about relocating will end up being terminated with no severance or unemployment option due to COBC violations.”

Also, if I lie, I get 12+ months of ‘unemployment’ that AT&T has to pay for while I coast to fu-k them while they tried to fu-k me.
Like 6x my severance time.
Unemployment is literal peanuts, pennies, trash, don’t care about it. The money I’d extract from AT&T by lying is significantly more.

Fu-k what AT&T is doing, and fu-k this company.

I’ll also quit before my ‘move time’ so I won’t get a termination on my record.

What are you gonna do about that HR person reading this forum?

• “Depending on the date they are required to show up a the new location it may not matter. For example, if they do not have to report until the last quarter, they continue to work. In the end they will have earned more than if they took the severance, while also still having access to medical, etc. during this ti e they can search for the perfect job. As far as I know, if they do not accept they are not being told when their last day is. T will use and abuse them til they are not needed”

Exactly, literally no one cares about COBC violations and the consequences except people who have tons of severance time. I don’t know why people keep posting this, it must be someone from upper management reading this forum who actually believes normal employees care about that sh-t.
Like, if I go to a new company and tell them the conditions under which I was asked to move and explain it away, they literally won’t care.
What AT&T is doing (forcing people to relocate without assistance in the highest interest rate environment in 30 years) is unethical so fu-k them.

I wish this person would stfu.

Also, how would they even know?
You say you’ll move, find a new job, and just quit saying ‘sorry found a better opportunity’ you going to get a COBC violation for putting in your 2 weeks? If so, they can shove it, honestly.

Yeah, if you remember from that chart he shared last time, they can’t “find” the people who said they relocated in wave 1. Given that chart and number of people who were randomly assigned virtual, people who need to leave will stay and those who are honest and have skills will leave. Why is boasting about that percentage?

Those who lie about relocating will end up being terminated with no severance or unemployment option due to COBC violations.

Depending on the date they are required to show up a the new location it may not matter. For example, if they do not have to report until the last quarter, they continue to work. In the end they will have earned more than if they took the severance, while also still having access to medical, etc. during this ti e they can search for the perfect job. As far as I know, if they do not accept they are not being told when their last day is. T will use and abuse them til they are not needed

Those who lie about relocating will end up being terminated with no severance or unemployment option due to COBC violations.

• “65% acceptance. Please update us on the percentage of people who initially accept AND show up at their new location.”

Exactly, tons of people are getting virtual or just lying and buying time for them to reverse this, or get virtual…
I’d be curious to see the numbers in a year to see how many actually relocated. I suspect it won’t be many.

He's the same guy that said "we don't care where you work, as long as the work gets done" in 2021.

I think back on a couple of decades of being directed to handle layoffs with as much sensitivity as possible, in part, because stated company policy was that ex-employees can still be customers.

Now it's: you don't want to rip your life apart at age 50 and move 1000 miles, don't let the door hit you in the a-s.

What's the opposite of a "brand ambassador"? Brand Antagonist? I think that sums up my attitude toward AT&T for the rest of my days. Since the company is intent on creating ten thousand or more of us who fit that description, it should have a label for it.

Well, off to the TMobile store.