#corporateculture

Love to hear your thoughts.

In his now infamous “to all employees” diatribe, Mr. Stink penned, "We run a dynamic, customer-facing business, tackling large-scale, challenging initiatives“ but I am here to inform you that we actually run a telephone company. For a hundred years it was a monopoly, but even after divestment, it’s basically the same business. People (aka customers) want to communicate and we provide the utility infrastructure. The end. What your still here? Waiting for me to eat shawarma? Since you’re still here, ask Mr. Stink at his feeding trough in South Akard why we need him? If I ask Ask AT&T, ChatGPT or Microsoft Copilot Chat how to run a successful dynamic customer facing system, it will give me a 2,500 word double spaced response in 30 seconds and ask if I want it in PDF or PowerPoint. I can ask that question while chained to a desk or watching the TV and I wwill get a response. So maybe instead of chasing all of us Gen Xers off your lawn because we can dial on a rotary phone, you can pack up your shine box and hit the road, pyjam-pa!

So was reading the new Severance and Enhanced Severance plan and it say for those effected by this, they will have to submit an "application" to be approved by leadership. Laughed my arsss off. Think about that, they want you to submit an application to get approved by them to fire you! Holy sh-t! hilarious. Just like that stupid Total Rewards Survey we did last month as obviously they are getting ready to bring people back into the office and cut benefits/pay. Again it will all be based on your feedback and will be your decision....when they bend you over. Corporate America is absolutely retar-ed and these people are just absolute trash. F-ck them and all their useless lies and schemes. Can't make this sh-t up!

Hans Vestberg just gave us a corporate update… about his meniscus. Surgery, rehab, jogging again — as if Verizon’s future depends on his morning runs.

Employees are getting cut, the stock is stuck, and competitors are eating Verizon alive. But Hans? He’s posting selfies with interns and bragging about finishing a 5K.

This isn’t leadership. It’s narcissism. Verizon has become a backdrop for Hans’ personal brand — where his knee surgery is a bigger headline than the company’s direction.

The meniscus healed. The company hasn’t.

Last year Penny was compensated 29 Million Dollars. If each person laid off had total income of 100,000 including salary and benefits, the total cost is 25,900,000.

So if Penny took one for the team she would only made a paltry 3.1 million dollars. Granted, she wouldn't get out of bed for such a peasant salary, but in my fantasy land 259 families would be well taken care of and she would still make 12,500 a day, 62,500 a week and 250,000 a month.

Granted, never will I be in a situation where I get to pick between being elite wealthy, or just really rich. Amongst the many reasons is the fact that I could never sc--w over so many people in the pursuit of my own interests.

So often we are blinded by blind idealism that everything should be unlimited, greed is good, and that anyone who says otherwise is a Socialist. Im not that, but I am also not one that believes a handful of the lucky sp--m should make more than 259 well paid people.

We really need to start looking at the big picture instead of glorifying the people that are ra-ing and plundering cast resources for their own enrichment.

News flash, Penny doesn't, and never has given a f--- about you, me, or anyone. Penny cares about Penny's purse. Insane

Hey Y'all! I've decided to channel my inner hungry humble swagger and adopt a growth mindset. I used to care about being a team player and actually executing on work that would move the firm forward. But now I realize I need to grow into a self-serving buzzword machine who cheers for leaderships latest "brilliant ideas" like a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader while shirking actual work like a champ! After all, y'all, it's One Edward Jones and I've got to look out for number one! How will y'all be growing your mindsets?

Volunteering won't do it. The defiant nature of the leaders here will just give you more work, laugh at you struggle, and will try to make you quit.

You have to put yourself on the chopping block by simply reporting your manager to Employee Relations. They will take the side of your supervisor, BUT you are a target now. A person who doesn't go with the flow, and can potentially expose them. Therefore, becoming a financiql liability and a source to empower others.

I guarantee you will be on the next list.

Quotes from the main thread:

• "they're utterly stymied by broken process, bloated egos and MGMT who's only concern is their own portfolio." (Anonymous, Post ID: @qg+1k3eddae2)
• "Kroger values people who say 'Yes, Yael, great idea! We can do it on that timeline!' more than why other skill." (Anonymous, Post ID: @q3+1k3eddae2)
• "Yael is such a fake corpo loser. Hate his stupid voice... all of these clowns are spineless cowards who don’t care about people." (Anonymous, Post ID: @h7+1k3eddae2)
• "HR isn't for the associates. It's designed to protect the company from legal issues with the associates." (Anonymous, Post ID: @ma+1k3eddae2)
• "Jim looks like a frog." (Anonymous, Post ID: @km+1k3eddae2)
• "Some of the VPs that survived are a joke and have caused this 'product led' mess." (Anonymous, Post ID: @pt+1k3eddae2)

reading previous post how AI will lead to next round layoffs I have a proposal, hear me out.
let's be clear most of leadership all the way to VPs are basically walking chatbots, you don't even need "thinking" AI models to replace them, some older ones will do the job. Then add agents workflows to generate endless stupid powerpoints and initiatives, randomize meeting creation and that's it. At least that kind of leadership will do a better job - faster, more accessible, zero price, less d-mb noise, jokes and posts. Their shallowness and lack of any deep knowledge is literally any area is insane.

Worthless anyway, at least we save some money, win win!?

I would just like to say that the firm has taken a noticeable turn when PP became the MP. What I don't like is that now we have members of the Executive Leadership Team that don't even have to live in StL. That used to be the norm - you're a Partner, you have to move to StL. How can leaders that don't live in StL immerse themselves in the EJ culture? They can't.

We now have ELT members that live in NYC. I'm sorry, but there is nothing in EJ's culture that aligns with NYC's culture. This is only one part of the disconnect - and it's why we have associates commenting here and at the firm their suspicions about David Chuback. He is NOT EJ culture, and PP is fooling herself if she thinks he could be a trusted confidant.

I just hope she doesn't ruin the firm before she retires in 2030.

Hi - I'm looking for new opportunities and may consider Cigna. Very few companies seem like great places to work. But it seems like employee dissatisfaction is comparatively low.

Any thoughts on taking a job here?

WF culture summed up by Deep Research analysis of thelayoff.com

Summary

Based on a qualitative analysis of employee discussions on a public forum, the internal health of Wells Fargo appears to be in a state of significant distress. The corporate environment is marked by pervasive anxiety, a deep erosion of psychological safety, and a cultural disconnect. The key drivers of this sentiment are recurrent and often uncommunicated layoffs, a return-to-office (RTO) mandate, and a perceived culture that prioritizes corporate allegiance over individual performance. For a prospective employee, the landscape is one of extreme caution, where job insecurity and arbitrary change are constant threats.

Section 1: The Context of Corporate Transition

Employee discussions reveal that corporate directives, such as layoffs and RTO policies, are major sources of discontent and uncertainty.

1.1 The Layoff as a Continuous Process

Layoffs at Wells Fargo are not viewed as isolated events but as a recurring, systemic process. The forum frequently references "Termination Tuesday" , a term that has become part of the professional lexicon for some employees. This suggests a predictable schedule for job cuts, creating a state of perpetual anxiety and anticipation. The discussions also mention rumors of "another large round of layoffs in mid-September, especially in Tech". The routinization of layoffs signals that job security is not part of the social contract, creating a "waiting for the other shoe to drop" mentality that hinders productivity and innovation.

1.2 The Return-to-Office Mandate

The Return-to-Office (RTO) mandate, which requires employees to come in "3 days per week" , is a frequent and contentious topic. It is widely perceived as an arbitrary policy and a symbol of management's distrust. The passive resistance, such as questioning whether it is acceptable to "work only four hours in the office" , indicates that employees feel they are complying with the letter of the law but not the spirit. This dynamic erodes the trust between management and the workforce, shifting the relationship from a partnership to a command-and-control dynamic.

Section 2: The State of Employee Morale

The emotional landscape of the Wells Fargo workforce is one of stress, burnout, and profound disillusionment.

2.1 Disillusionment and the Sense of Liberation

The most powerful indicator of low morale is the surprising sense of liberation expressed by employees who have been laid off. Comments that being laid off was the "best week in the last decade" and the expression of being "free" are a profound indictment of the company's work culture. This suggests that the work environment has become a source of immense psychological burden and professional suffering, where job loss is seen as a release from stress and a form of mental and emotional imprisonment.

2.2 Burnout and Compensation Resentment

Discussions on the "infinite workday" and widespread burnout point to a culture of overwork where employees feel compelled to be constantly available to prove their value in a climate of job insecurity. At the same time, discussions about "salary compression" where "lower roles are reclassified to higher roles without a pay increase" are a source of significant resentment. Employees see this as a sign of disrespect, a clear message that the company is willing to extract more value without offering a commensurate reward.

Section 3: The Erosion of Psychological Safety

Psychological safety, the belief that one will not be punished for speaking up, has been critically compromised.

The constant discussion of layoffs and the ominous presence of "Termination Tuesday" create a climate where employees cannot feel secure. The anecdote of an individual being "laid off after 14 years" shows that even long-term loyalty offers no protection. This lack of security forces employees into a defensive, self-protective posture that hinders collaboration and productive risk-taking.

A particularly damning piece of evidence is the anecdote that a laid-off employee's "exact job was being offered to temps at a lower wage". This demonstrates that the company views its human capital as a fungible commodity. The cynical rejection of corporate justifications, such as the belief that "AI is (still) mostly a scapegoat" for layoffs , further reveals a deep distrust of management's motives.

Section 4: The Cultural Disconnect

The discussions reveal a profound cultural critique of the organization. The description of Wells Fargo as a "cult" where "performance is less valued than being a 'True Believer'" is a critical insight. This suggests a culture where success is based on ideological loyalty and conformity rather than objective performance or competence. This system stifles critical thinking and innovation, as political savvy is rewarded over genuine results.

The use of "buzzwords" and the perception of managers "doing NOTHING" indicate a lack of authentic leadership and a significant disconnect between corporate communication and the reality of day-to-day work.

Section 5: Insights for a New Employee

For a prospective employee, the report provides a candid assessment. The official corporate narrative is likely at odds with the lived reality of the workforce. A new employee will be entering a culture defined by anxiety and mistrust, where job insecurity is a constant threat and loyalty is not rewarded.

The advice is to be pragmatic and self-reliant. A new employee should not rely on the company for job security or psychological safety. The evidence suggests that job tenure offers no protection and that management is viewed as indifferent to the personal toll of its policies. It is recommended that a new employee approach the role with the understanding that the company's primary focus is on cost-cutting and control, and that their well-being is a secondary concern.

Circle back Low-hanging fruit Bandwidth Ping Sync Loop in Double-click Level set Run it up the flagpole Boil the ocean Move the needle Circle of competence On the same page Game changer Pushback Buy-in Hit the ground running Value-add Quick win Blue-sky thinking Win-win Touch base Peel the onion Outside the box Swim lane Parking lot it Actionable Granular Raise the bar

Have you all noticed the significant amount of leadership attention being given to our new analysts and interns lately?

It's quite fascinating to observe this trend, especially with all the packed events in NYC and other locations. It seems like the company media is using social engineering and a controlled audience to portray our current culture as vibrant and dynamic. This is intentional not coincidental.

You might have seen the emails and social media posts with RV and other leaders snapping selfies and mingling with the wide-eyed enthusiastic head-bobbing analysts and interns, who, if you look closely, appear to be sipping bottles of baby formula and Pedialyte while captivated by the experience!

Analysts and interns seem to be the primary internal audience that leadership has found receptive recently. Clearly, leadership is using this audience to create a false narrative and skew perceptions about the current overall corporate culture as being vibrant, dynamic and humming.

There’s no sense of team spirit, no clear vision, and nobody actually guiding people forward. How this place is even functioning is beyond me.

In the old days, companies used to call layoffs “downsizing” or “right-sizing,” like it was some kind of corporate yoga pose. Now it’s just “restructuring” “ Early Retirement Program “—a polite way of saying we spun the wheel and your name came up.

Make no mistake: layoffs in corporate America aren’t always about performance. They’re about PowerPoint presentations, stock price sugar highs, and executives proving to shareholders that they’re “decisive” by cutting the very people who actually do the work.

You can almost picture the C-suite playing a board game:
• Roll the dice — Land on “Cut 500 jobs” and collect a bonus.
• Draw a card — “Move production offshore, skip ahead to your stock grant vesting date.”
• Spin the wheel — “Congratulations! You’ve eliminated your entire customer support team. Hope the chatbot works!”

Meanwhile, employees are left watching their email like contestants on a reality TV show, waiting to see if they’re voted off the island or if they get to keep their seat in the open office zoo.

And the best part? The company will send you a warm, heartfelt email thanking you for your “dedicated service,” signed by an executive who couldn’t pick you out of a lineup. But don’t worry—your sacrifice will be remembered… until the next quarterly earnings call.

The pink slip game isn’t about survival of the fittest. It’s survival of whoever’s on the “critical projects” spreadsheet that quarter. And even that’s temporary. Because sooner or later, they spin the wheel again.

This post needed its own thread. The OP is @a9+1k36wh77z, all credit goes to them.

Everything at this place feels impossible: producing executives who don’t resemble a circus act, making a profit without layoffs, holding on to good employees, fostering a healthy culture, or recovering from years of negligence. And then some.

No. 5 on PEOPLE's 100 Companies That Care in 2025 list. Because, why not?

https://people.com/100-companies-that-care-list-2025-11784812

Ah, the holidays Coming soon — that magical time when companies drape their logos in twinkling lights, release tear-je-king ads about “family values,” and then quietly toss employees out the back door like expired fruitcake.

Nothing says “Merry Christmas” quite like a calendar invite titled Mandatory HR Meeting on Thanksgiving or December 23rd. It’s corporate efficiency at its finest — cut payroll before year’s end, bump the stock price, and still make it to the CEO’s chalet in Aspen for eggnog.

The PR department will churn out phrases like “right-sizing” and “strategic restructuring” — translation: we’re firing you to protect executive bonuses. After all, someone’s got to pay for the CEO’s holiday Rolex and the board’s catered champagne toast.

And while they sip their peppermint lattes and congratulate themselves on “tough decisions,” real people are at home explaining to their kids why Santa suddenly downsized his operations this year. Nothing warms the heart like watching holiday lights reflect off the foreclosure notice.

If companies want to be honest, they should ditch the fake holiday cheer and just run commercials that say: “From all of us in upper management, thanks for your years of service — and don’t let the door hit you on your way to the unemployment line.”

Because in corporate America, the season of giving is really the season of taking — taking jobs, taking dignity, and taking every last shred of goodwill before the year-end financials hit.

but when he needs someone to run something he hires all the old folks. He brought back Bonnie G out of retirement as a consultant, and has now move Sue J to run the transformation team.

I don’t work there, but I’ve watched what this place has done to my sister. She’s given them everything—early mornings, late nights, weekends, endless events. And she’s not the only one. So many of you have sacrificed your time, your health, even your families, because you believed in being loyal and dedicated.

But what does this company give back? Not gratitude, not respect, not recognition. Instead, after draining people dry, they toss you out like you were nothing. It’s not a “thank you” for years of service—it’s a cold shove out the door.

We used to joke it was like a cult. Turns out we were right. A cult takes your energy, your devotion, your soul—and when you’re no longer useful, it discards you. That’s exactly what’s happening here.

To everyone getting laid off: you deserved better than this. And no matter what they try to make you believe, the failure is theirs—not yours.

Both ELT and now SLT appear focused on hiring primarily through Rogers Communications’ network of associates - aka, friends.

Simply reshaping the organizational structure will not drive real change that's needed. The company is not functioning as a truly international business, but rather as one directed by individuals whose decisions risk undermining its future while their personal connections receive disproportionate advancement.

There is no Leadership here. Just Management and plenty of poor of it. They oughta start calling these aholes EMT and not insult what a leader should be

Working at Truist often feels less like being part of a team and more like being dropped straight into the Hunger Games. Colleagues are positioned as competitors rather than collaborators, and every day becomes a test of endurance where management and peers alike seem focused on outmaneuvering, undercutting, or suffocating your progress. The company’s glossy slogans about “Purpose” and “Care” ring hollow—just polished propaganda masking a reality where employees quickly learn those words are for external image, not internal practice.

Human Resources, rather than acting as a neutral protector of fairness, feels more like another arm of the Capitol—perfectly aligned with leadership, but not with the people actually fighting in the arena. Meanwhile, Truist quietly disengages from its most loyal workers, even as Bill Rogers and the executives enrich themselves exorbitantly. With each new round of lavish bonuses and raises at the top, it becomes clearer: the sacrifices of employees are little more than the currency funding Bill Rogers and the executives. In this version of the Games, survival means accepting that the system isn’t broken—it was designed this way.

It doesn't matter how good your metrics are. They'd rather have a True Believer with sh---y metrics than a competent performer who occasionally utters a critical sentence.

They’re on here playing on your experiences and gaslighting so FLD can keep selling $XX million of whatever stock and direct f5 to an oblivion of fake setting the bar shenanigans. Get out. Just leave. Then go tell your story on LinkedIn even if under a mock profile.

The place is effed and you’re effed if you care about staying there.

GET OUT NOW BEFORE THEY SEND YOU HOME

I find it shocking that after months of uncertainty and fear, leadership can't be bothered to (1) guarantee a phone call to discuss your fate or (2) loop in lower level managers to have that conversation.

https://starkmanapproved.com/atts-john-stankey-enters-ceo-hall-of-shame/?utm_source=chatgpt.com

T-Mobile has always been known as the company that shook the industry, the brand that turned customers into fans and broke the mold of what wireless could be. But when a company begins to fall, it doesn’t happen all at once—it’s in the small cracks that grow when vision loses its edge, when culture begins to drift, and when leadership forgets the heart of what made people believe in the first place.

T-Mobile’s strength was never just about towers, phones, or plans—it was about people. It was about empowering employees to think differently, to fight for customers, and to believe they were part of something bold. If that spirit fades, so does the brand’s ability to rise above the rest.

Falling is not failure, but it is a warning. It’s a reminder that momentum is not permanent, and that every great movement can lose its way if it forgets its core. The fall is not about lost sales or missed targets—it’s about losing the trust and passion that once made T-Mobile unstoppable.

The question isn’t whether T-Mobile can fall. The real question is whether it will remember why it rose in the first place. ITS BECAUSE OF ITS EMPLOYEES

You can spot an L3/L4 leader from 100 yards away. They stick out like a Weird Al ringtone at a funeral. No stress on their face, they’re weightless despite the gravity of their decisions. Be better. It doesn’t take much.

Cisco needs someone who can better manage layoff crisis other than Francine always trying to be a barbie doll all the time

For those who survived Wave 1, is this seriously the boss we all reported to now? Wow just wow. Looks gonna be toxic.

"CEO MW is overhauling the oil giant’s ‘nice’ corporate culture, getting tougher not just on his employees but also on rivals and the politicians standing in his way".

WSJ article:
https://www.wsj.com/business/energy-oil/chevron-leadership-mean-strategy-598f5c84

20 years with company I've always felt my ideas would be heard at any level...As a result I've made incredible impacts and generated value while leveraging cross functional teams.

Last few weeks I've noticed where basically I was told to "stay in my lane" and things are feeling very top down.

Is this the new chevron?

Why we have so many incompetent and unqualified people in Sr leadership role in Technology ? Cloud program is a joke with PC , AC etc.. they just got surrounded or shielded by people who should not be in the employment. Is it same everywhere ?

Y’all’s SVP didn’t give you the full list? Yes, the emails only reveal the big three “campus hubs”:

1. Basking Ridge
2. NYC
3. Irving, TX

But there are also named “business hubs” chosen by business unit leaders for investment:

1. Alpharetta
2. Annapolis Junction
3. Ashburn
4. Cary
5. Chandler
6. Irvine
7. Lone Tree
8. Miami
9. Rolling Meadows
10. Temple Terrace
11. Washington DC

If you work in the location other than the ones listed, you are in a non-directional location. The locations will either be maintained or will be exited in the future.

Salt Lake City must have some pull because their center is closing but they’re all going home-based. Hmm!!!