Thread regarding AT&T layoffs

“as well as waved off higher paying jobs
with other companies to remain a part
of it for our working lifetime.”
"This was a choice you made. Own it."

"Own it" doesn't make sense here. That's something you say to someone playing the victim or failing to take responsibility. The author is explaining the decisions employees made when they felt pride and satisfaction in the work, and contrasting that with how things are now (in their view).

Yes, back in the day loyalty was the name of the game. You work hard, the company takes care of you. Benefits were so good, ignored other job opportunities to stay at a job I loved and work with great people. Why risk going into a bad situation when you feel like you’re in a great one already?

Decades later it’s a new time; yanked my pre-Medicare medical, vacation days, & gave us messy employee medical. Laid off the smartest people around. I cannot believe I left my teenagers home alone to go work storm damage for this company. On several occasions. Makes me ill sometimes.

I've always worked for a paycheck, not loyalty. You want loyalty? Get a dogs.

@wgf+1teCRtf5

Your right. That’s ALL it is now, is just a paycheck.
The company has ZERO loyalty, so why should employees?
Do the 8 hours, collect the check. Done

"Getting people into the office and actually working"

you are doing a bang up job yourself. we all know you aren't currently in the office working right now.

Getting people into the office and actually working.

"It’s all about cutting cost. I was told in our dept they may surplus and then add two new people with no knowledge because it’s cheaper.this is where the company is headed. Less employees for less money."

Case in point. In the Legg org, the HR person was let go because they were in FL. Replaced with a new person. The new person didn't know about CA's WARN program, or that you have to give an employee 60 days notice or there are significant penalties. OOPS! So Wave 2 notices sent out Tuesday were 2 week notices for everyone but CA employees that got 60 day notices. Those notices were supposed to come out earlier but there was a delay because another HR person did catch it just in time.

Our executives seem to be happy playing with fire. Let's let the newbies do it. It'll be fine. I think Stankey's pilot should be replaced with a new student pilot and let him see if he changes his tune about skill, experience and ability.

T-101: check your pride at the door. you are not valued.keep your eye on the prize. good paycheck

“as well as waved off higher paying jobs with other companies to remain a part of it for our working lifetime.”
This was a choice you made. Own it.

It didn't used to feel like this. I remember a time (perhaps leftover from the Baby Bell culture) when we were proud employees. In Network we have many highly trained employees that have gone above and beyond for the sake of a company we once believed in and were happy to be a part of, as well as waved off higher paying jobs with other companies to remain a part of it for our working lifetime. People did overtime as a standard because it was needed, working from home for years before COVID. Many of us have worked maintenance windows overnight, caught 4 hrs sleep and got right back to work the following day because our jobs are task-driven... and with all the mergers, reorgs and restructuring there's been a LOT of tasks to complete over the last 20 years or so. Now I see a leadership that has dismissed that commitment and are targeting those same employees, most of which are either at retirement or nearing it, because AT&T's trying to get out of paying retirement or severance. We waste 1.5 - 3 hrs in traffic 3 days a week just to log in at an office and work with people who are everywhere on the planet but the actual office that we're mandated to go in to.

You work 8 hours a day? Impressive. Not me.

he's in denial to avoid any acceptance that other CEO's know more about leadership than him

Skeet skeet

It’s all about cutting cost. I was told in our dept they may surplus and then add two new people with no knowledge because it’s cheaper.this is where the company is headed. Less employees for less money.
We can debate it all, but the reality is it’s all about cutting costs and nothing more. That’s why great employees are let go.

Lots of chips on shoulders, too!

Nope. Not buying this. Saw too many managers kiss a$$ for too long. Now that the bad weather has blown your way you all have an epiphany about how sh---y this company is? Gtfoh.

OP
NAILED IT! 100% TRUTH
What people need to understand is no matter how excellent of an employee you are, how MANY hours you contribute, your skillset, etc
When your number is called, which it
eventually will be for many sooner vs. later you will be gone.
RTO (layoff exercise) aside, this is just the plain simple TRUTH.
God Bless Everyone!

A culture of employees doing the bare minimum was established long before Stankey became CEO. T had been extremely bloated for decades.

Best post I’ve seen on this site in a looooonnnggg time thanks

It's never been about how much you know. If you are in the wrong place at the wrong time you'll be the one cut. Even Legg tried to do this "knowledge survey" and he claimed "we need to know what our people know before we go out and look for new people". I don't know of a single person who was moved from one org to another because of skill they had that company was looking for.

This is the plan since the headcount needs to get to around 60K within the next 18 months. GET OUT NOW!