#employeerelations

Santa Barbara County has successfully reduced its planned staff layoffs. This positive development comes after receiving an unexpected increase in state funding. The additional money will allow the county to reinstate 15 positions that were previously slated for elimination. These restored jobs were part of a larger effort to address the county's tight financial situation and balance its budget. Consequently, the total number of layoffs has decreased significantly.

Santa Barbara, California

https://www.kclu.org/2026-07-13/santa-barbara-county-reduces-staff-layoffs-after-getting-an-unexpected-surge-in-state-funding?_amp=true

Many years ago when I heard some of my friends had landed jobs at Cisco I thought "wow Cisco is smart to hire them". I even considered buying the stock.

All of them got laid off.

So when Cisco bought the company I worked for I already knew what was coming. The day the deal was announced I should have updated my resume and left. But I stayed anyway. I lasted longer than I expected but those years were mostly wasted.

I watched good friends and talented people get cut. After about a year I made a decision. I was done working extra hours or giving my soul to the company. If someone asked where I worked I would say Cisco but I always added that it was not the company it used to be back in the 90s. These days I even wonder if it was ever really that great.

In the end I gave them way less than my best effort. Sometimes I felt guilty about it. Then I would see someone busting their a** working weekends and late nights only to get laid off anyway. That made the message pretty clear.

Now it is my turn to be let go and I am still not sure which path was better. Should you work hard on principle even when the system does not care? Or do you push back against a machine that punishes loyalty?

I used every bit of that unlimited PTO. I never worked extra hours. Part of me is glad I fought the system in my own small way.

The other part wonders if it would have been better to go down still believing in the mission like Old Major in Animal Farm.

I want people’s opinions on this. The UW Campaign is in October, and the committee is pulling in the ERGs for engagement. They claim the focus is on the people—not Imperial. But let’s be honest: every single thing we do still gets stamped with Imperial’s name, and employees onsite have zero motivation left. I don’t see how we’re supposed to “engage” anyone under these conditions.

The waiting is excruciating. So ready to go. And no I am not just gonna leave just here for support. Centene is not the same anymore.

I’m expecting to be laid off this Thursday. My supervisor scheduled a 1:1 for the exact time and dates the expected layoffs are estimated to take place. I don’t know how to feel about this, but now gotta face the next 4 days with this information looming over me. I wish they’d just rip the bandage off and do it today. Anyone else in this boat?

While I suspect the July 16th date is accurate, I believe VZ upper management is leveraging this platform to foster an environment of anxiety. This narrative feels designed to artificially drive up productivity and force compliance through job insecurity. We should anticipate VZ to run continuous fake info such as these supposed fake weekly upcoming layoffs. My strongest recommendation is to disconnect from this forum and proactively channel your energy into finding a better opportunity elsewhere. This is my last time ever opening this site. This is a psyop. Wake up.

Curious if anyone has received their 401k settlement deposit. If so, are you still an active employee, or are you a past employee with a still-active Empower 401k.

did you make it through? how do your orgs look?

I’m in my late 20s so I assume I’m younger than a lot of you here and I’m also assuming a lot of y'all are probably my parents’ age or even older. Reading some of your hateful words on here Im honestly embarrassed for your kids. I can’t imagine if I saw or heard my mom or dad talk the way you do about human beings and all for what ? DEI? What’s the obsession like give it a rest. Why are you so threatened by who somebody beds down with? How does that affect you in any way? Worried they’ll take your job? Maybe stop being such dinosaurs. Stop coasting just because you think you’ve made it in life because you made it to a JG 3 or above. No wonder a lot of yall are being wiped out of your careers and companies don’t want to hire you and pay you for what you think you’re worth. So entitled. If you hate shells DEI policies so much then leave oh wait you can’t because you banked your whole career on ONE company. The new generations laugh at yall and trust me yes we are taking your jobs and yes we are also making more than you are. Nothing but disgusting sad old people you should be ashamed of yourselves. I’m disgusted to know I walk the halls with you. Grow some ba--s you want to act tough why post anonymously say it with your chest let us know your alias ID, post it on teams, LinkedIn etc or even better I’ll set up a gtky and we can have a f2f chat about how you really feel. We can even grab lunch and you can cry about how you’re all being wiped out by hispanics blacks Asians females g-ys and whoever else you wanna blame for your dead careers.

I worked for other large companies in the West and the Midwest prior to joining GN&T in the Northeast. My Western and Midwestern bosses were friendly and would greet me, ask me how things were going, make small talk etc…

My Verizon GN&T were the complete opposite. Hardly ever greeted me, didn’t make conversation about work or anything else. One ED wouldn’t even answer if you said good morning if you happened to be riding in the same elevator on the way to the office. This silent treatment makes for a pretty unpleasant working environment.

I’m curious what other people’s experiences are like. Is this a Northeast thing? A Verizon thing? Or what? I’m an introvert and I’m not seeking to start long conversations but greeting someone back is basic courtesy.

Hundreds of healthcare workers in Vermont gathered to protest upcoming layoffs at UVM Health. They expressed concerns about the impact on patient care and their own livelihoods. The rally highlighted the significant number of employees facing job losses. Organizers emphasized the importance of retaining experienced medical professionals. The demonstration aimed to pressure the health system to reconsider its decision.

Burlington, VT

https://www.wcax.com/video/2026/07/12/hundreds-vt-healthcare-workers-rally-against-uvm-health-layoffs/

The Santa Barbara County Health Department will reinstate fifteen positions previously impacted by layoffs. This reversal is due to a revised state budget that provides additional revenue for the department. The restored roles include various clinical and administrative staff. This funding allows the department to increase productivity and improve workflow efficiency. The department is using this year to enhance operations in anticipation of potential future budget changes.

Santa Barbara, California

https://www.noozhawk.com/county-health-will-restore-15-positions-after-layoffs/

So most thought by July a package would come .Now I hear there’s discrepancy on how many or who even on the amount

Truist employee here. Not a fan of BR but curious about our new CEO. Anyone want to share their thoughts?

left for role with soon to be mostly ex client ages ago, had some leftover cr4p that this company never bothered to pick up and they never responded to the original email so thought no bother, I sent my laptop back and thats all that mattered

out of the blue, get an email from "iron mountain" basically instructing me to package EVERYTHING the company sent me, including mice, keyboards, headsets and from covid the desk that Ive built my room around

if you get anything similar just tell them youve disposed of everything already and indicate you have no business with them
they have no power over us now

A new survey reveals that a significant majority of U.S. workers support the creation of an AI wealth fund. This sentiment arises as tech layoffs continue to increase, causing widespread job security concerns. The proposed fund would mandate AI firms to transfer a substantial portion of their stock to public ownership. Proponents believe this will ensure the benefits of AI are shared broadly. This initiative aims to address public frustration over corporate profits versus worker displacement.

United States

https://www.cnbc.com/2026/07/12/majority-of-us-workers-support-ai-fund-amid-tech-layoffs-survey.html

So once the VSP requests are all processed by/before the 27th, how long do you all suspect it'll be before the involuntary layoffs begin?

VZ to acquire Dish out of bankruptcy, laying off massive amounts of head count to pay for it.

Layoffs to fly under the radar of the larger story

I’ve learned more about ExxonMobil’s policies and the unwritten, dirtier rules outside the office than inside it. I’m sharing what I’ve picked up so far. If this helps even one person who walks blind. Feel free to add to it and keep it a live threat:

1. Be friendly, but don’t trust anyone. EM is not the place to build deep friendships. Surface level professionalism is safer.
2. Keep your academic network alive. You never know when you might need an adjunct role, consulting, or a fallback path.
3. Don’t share your goals. People we-ponize information here. Your ambitions become someone else’s leverage.
4. Don’t share anything personal. Many people cannot tolerate seeing someone else happy or progressing. Protect your privacy.
5. If you’re underutilized, speak up formally. Do your best, document it, and clearly inform management you need a project. Silence gets interpreted as complacency.
6. If you’re paired with a senior person in your area of the same skill, set boundaries immediately. Define your tasks, your ownership, and how credit will be split. Otherwise, your work becomes “their contribution.”
7. In team meetings, don’t rush to speak first. Read the room, understand the tone, then contribute. But don’t stay silent. You don’t want to leave labeled as “the one who didn’t participate.”
8. Document every idea in writing. Don’t let anyone “zoom call” your idea away and then repackage it as theirs. Put things in email, timestamp them, and confirm ownership clearly.
9. Don’t over acknowledge or admire people. The moment you over praise someone, they start acting like you owe them something. You don’t. Keep compliments minimal and neutral.
10. Never let them think you’re desperate for the job — even if you are. Desperation is blood in the water. If they sense it, you become the easiest person to throw under the bus.

Have you looked at the VSP email? They’re claiming that not applying for VSP doesn't mean you're on the chopping block later, but we all know how this usually goes. Does anyone have any idea how they’re actually calculating who gets impacted if they don’t get enough people to take the package? Let me know if you heard anything.

A buyer in place for Estero building. 6 months til vacancy required. If you’re in the 2nd floor, get ready for pink slips soon. Some positions may get offers to relocate to Atlanta. The rest will be let go. Was a fun ride while it lasted. So long Florida!

I am actually floored by this guy. I’ve seen some toxic stuff in my career, but this is next-level. He’s been here a year and honestly thinks he’s a deity, the way he talks down to the Indian team is straight-up disgusting, like they’re beneath him, question nothing. His emails read like they’re coming off a stone tablet from God. He makes endless snide comments on calls to belittle people. I would contact HR about this, but from what i've seen they find a way to fire you if you raise this stuff. I'm looking as well, its not worth the health problems.

Management is rolling out a brand-new "Competency Model" framework for upcoming mid-year reviews that completely changes the rules of our jobs right after a massive layoff. They are introducing a mandatory "AI Competency" metric, requiring everyone to use AI tools daily and even "configure simple agents" just to be rated as "Effective" in their roles. This is a transparent move to force a smaller, surviving workforce to use automation to absorb all the leftover work from our departed colleagues. By rushing this out by August 31 alongside mid-year "goal adjustments," management is building a paper trail that redefines what it means to do your job well. If you don't adopt these new automated workflows, they can mark you as underperforming even if you are doing your core job perfectly, creating a loop hole for them to shift to performance-based terminations instead of layoffs so they can dodge paying severance down the road. Just when you think they can’t go any lower, they now want to take away severance pay

How can they lay off AMs, while turning around and immediately adding new AMs?

It seems like what might be really happening is CDW is trying to re-set the payroll with lower paid employees and foregoing the experience, expertise and customer relationships of AMs who were paid more competitively.

I’m sure that’s also happening in other departments.

What could go wrong?🤦🏻‍♂️

Rumor of 6k more unlucky souls next week. Could it be?

Does anyone have any exact insight on how long will they keep those that applied for VSP? I know it depends on needs I am just wanting to know if anyone has any specifics. The waiting is difficult. Just trying hard to keep busy.

The current CISO a--hole brought his pals along from Etrade. He and his pals laid off almost every hardworking and talented person who saved his a-s from mega breaches and embarrasment. Its just a matter of time before he replaces the rest. What a corrupt dou--ebag!

Procedure of getting fired after Less Than Meet?

I had a long and mostly good career at Intel. I remember the early days, when it was demanding, but in exchange, there was a meaningful employer/employee relationship. Towards the end, and sadly like so much of tech, it is now just transactional, you are here for the moment, then not. In the last chapter of my career at Intel products side (DCG), I felt our mission and goals were always shifting with the rotation of VPs, job clarity and purpose were low, and you spent as much time navigating politics, turf and survival as you did actually focused on delivering anything to our customers. Still, I always saved, maxed out 401k, additional savings along the way.

When our team was hit a year ago, I took the money and ran. We only have one shot at our lives, so for the next chapter, I focused on finding a job and organization that had more meaning to me, and not about the pay or title. I landed a role that pays about 1/3 of what I made at Intel (was double digit grade level), but I have very clear job clarity, ownership, accountability, I have direct line of site where my contributions add value, there isn't a re-org every quarter, the management is stable. This is a much better space than the nonsense of working on ever shifting goals, and one day you are told what you do matters, and the next day the team is CPM'd.

The key, if you are there navigating Lip-Bu's 'you are born to suffer and work hard' mindset, is save, save, save, and as you have more and more socked away, your options beyond Intel, and beyond tech, grow, grow and grow.

I am grateful for the wealth accumulation Intel provided my family and I over the years, and I do wish the remaining Intel colleagues the best of luck, I hope Intel and those that are there succeed (still have stock), but have to say the employment experience - from the perspective of meaning and purpose - decreased significantly from the Intel I joined in times past.

I left Target HQ 3 years ago and really want to come back. Does Target generally hire previous employees if they left on good terms? Do you have an advantage in the hiring process?

Temple University is implementing layoffs affecting 40 employees as it addresses ongoing budget deficits. This action is part of a broader strategy to cut $60 million in expenses for the upcoming fiscal year. The university is also increasing tuition by an average of 3.4% for both in-state and out-of-state students. Despite these cuts, Temple has recently experienced promising gains in first-year undergraduate enrollment. The university aims to achieve a balanced budget within the next three years.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

https://www.highereddive.com/news/temple-university-lays-off-40-employees-as-it-tackles-deficit/824888/

I just saw a new department message about another round of underwriting associates getting moved to claims. Pages after pages of names, poor souls.

For the folks still in underwriting: Has managment become more aggressive, threatning layoffs?

I don't have any buddies left in that department, so I don't know what sort of pitch they are giving you guys.

I wonder if the VSP will be offered again if they don't get the number that they were wanting. I was back & forth, but decided not to take it. Now I'm wondering if I should have.

What is the date where people will officially get the vsp? Quite a few people I am working with are checked out and wondering if they took it.

I’ve seen reports of layoffs. Do you know which teams are affected?

I understand October 2 is the last day for sales reps if they didn’t get a territory, if I have that right. Other than that what is the significance of October 2 for this company? What is the purpose of October 2, why not finish the year out? Thanksgiving and Christmas would be so close. That doesn’t even make sense!!
Is it a $ thing? Seems like there wouldn’t be enough people to work!! Who’s going to work all this? There’s only SO MUCH one person can do!!

A significant majority of HR leaders anticipate further workforce reductions in 2026. Many organizations are now treating job cuts as a routine management strategy rather than a last resort. This trend is driven by a need to acquire specific skills and adapt to volatile market conditions. Despite these widespread layoffs, a notable perception gap exists regarding internal redeployment programs. The constant uncertainty surrounding job security is also impacting the well-being of both employees and HR professionals.

https://www.thehrdigest.com/87-of-hr-leaders-are-planning-layoffs-in-2026/

Is there a way to report an issue to HR anonymously?

"We've undermined the trust you have that your specific expertise and contribution will be valued, that you will grow and advance your career, and that this will be a place where you can actually have an impact."

I doubt you will hear anything like that from Chuck or the new CFO.