Management and associates alike are giving up. Nobody cares what is happening here. Maybe it's a work stoppage hangover, but this place is a mess. I am hearing management say things about the company that I never thought I would hear. The culture of this company is toxic, and it all came from above.
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Back to the issue at hand. Toxic waste land. Strike/EWA did me in. Got to see the dung on both sides of the fence. This place is greedy beyond compare. I think upper management did a great job of cracking the shell and really driving home how little ANYONE in the rank and file matters -union and management alike.
This is like a self fulfilling prophesy.
Start:
We sell less, so let's fire some sales, cut some products, sell some property and cut the marketing budget in two, so that hopefully we can improve our numbers.
Guess what happens, we get a bad reputation, people leave and are not longer motivated so sell even less than the anticipated decrease.
Collect one penny for being a DUMB spreadsheet-strategist, then Go back to Start:
I completely agree with fso. Not having a mortgage and car payment was very nice. Also our child went to a state school nearby so she graduated debt free, so no burden there as well. Very tempting to spend the severance on a luxury, but it can make up for a lower paying job or one without good benefits so you don't have to move to find employment. The financial planners circle like wolves when they hear you have been laid off so watch out for them as well.
I've watched this wireline company play the same MO as all the other exit endeavors they were engaged in previously, delay, deny,obfuscate,pretend best of breed,promise the moon,deliver dust,an play the game. Watson an Alex would be appalled.
Remember, you are just a number, and my number came up last year, after almost 30 years of dedication to what I thought was a career. I watched like most of you all as my career was flushed down the toilet. Nothing will ever be what it was. Do yourselves a favor, prepare... save money, pay down your debt, and contribute as much as you can to your 401k. I am working for another company now, but no where near the same salary. Good luck to you all, while Vz, dismantles wireline.
1bno
What area?
Upper management rolled into town the other day, had a meeting with all lower management and pretty much advised that most of us will be let go over the next 12 months. This is Verizon's way of saying thank you for busting our a$$es for 7 weeks, staying away from our families and injuring ourselves to the point that its going to take months of physical therapy, just to be able to stand up straight again. Fu(k Verizon and Fu(k the executive board for allowing this destruction to occur.
Verizon sent hubby a fair buyout offer on his pension that he had from his company that got absorbed into Verizon. The 401K rolls over. So I guess we are truly free. If you ignore the whole H1B circumstances, the actual Rif benefits were nice. I hope they stay the same for future Rif victims. I think what was most surprising was the post Rif depression. There were so few people left that he knew there, heck from what I could hear during bridge meetings there were very few left that spoke English so I'm not sure what had him down other than he had survived an awful lot of layoffs. This was his first. Perhaps it was the winter blues also, but it was tense at times. Don't let whatever happens at Verizon bleed into your family life if you can help it.
Everybody is just getting their exit plan in place, associates we have 3 years. We are the Enron of telecom. Or will be. So how do we save our 401k's ?
CWA
There aren't many managers left who care. Ever since they hacked their benefits in 2006 and then started RIFing like crazy the survivors really could care less and there are very few Kool-Aid drinkers left in wireline. The few that are still drinking think they're going to get promoted, ha ha, but little do they know...
Completely unenlightened and evil upper management at Verizon. Work atmosphere beyond toxic. 2nd level and above make me physically ill when I look at their faces.
I think it really hit home after the layoff in the spring when so many good people were tapped and their work dumped on the survivors. You are right, the layoff in December was a blessing in disguise. So relieved to find out that the management behavior at Verizon was abnormal and you can enjoy going to work and have a family life.
I have never seen a company that used to be so fun to work for go downhill so fast.
Things were unraveling fast in October and then I got rifed. That was devastating but maybe it is a blessing in disguise.
Union guy here and I don't really give two sh1ts anymore since coming back. I've had a very negative attitude that is summed up with "If they could treat me like this, why do I care ??"
Honestly, I'm not in wireline but I can tell you morale is at an all-time low. Everyone is tired, and just waiting for a RIF. If they took volunteers, I guarantee there would be a mad rush of rats getting off this sinking ship
Awwww, but Better Matters! Rah Rah rah.
I agree 100%. Managment is $hit upon and that rolls downhill, creates a horrible atmosphere. My first level has the worst who cares attitude now, and I'm right there with him.
You got that right......... The company is circling the drain................and the executive management doesnt care one bit about any employee whether your an associate and or in management. The strike and their actions demonstrated just how much disregard for the employee they have. The culture is toxic..... and It is only a matter of time......... Lowell needs to go along with his old Buddy cronies like REED, Mudge and IRWIN... This string of management adds no value other than to be dictators.