#morale

Can we discuss the peculiar behavior of people in the office? What’s the deal with this numb, personalityless, smart-a-s, arrogant new type of behavior? I find many people in the office absolutely cringe-worthy. While some are quite normal, a significant number are simply bizarre. It’s like observing a child with Asperger’s syndrome in the office. Have people lost their personalities? If you can sit at a desk and make snarky comments while appearing completely serious about them, yet make no effort to connect with your coworkers, what exactly are you doing in the office? It seems like these individuals could be outsourced in a heartbeat, as we clearly don’t require their interpersonal, softer skills or collaboration. Is everyone so risk-averse that they can’t exhibit a bit of common sense? I may not be an outgoing personality and I tend to keep to myself most of the time, but for the love of all that’s holy, there’s something seriously wrong with you if you can go to a place with a thousand other people, say nothing to anyone, sit at your desk for eight hours, only getting up to use the restroom or have lunch. No one even smiles in the hallway anymore.

Voluntary/targeted severance.

The old guard is ready to leave and just cashing checks at this point.

MGRs are disengaged over the ridiculous demands, broken equipment, increased micromanaging, and 25% individual store bonus multiplier...getting worse daily.

Sycamore would be wise to move quickly on this.

so despite all receiving a welcome message from our top people person stating there will be a review it seems the UK has been cancelled.
You have not and will not hear this from your UK leader, youll be told there has been a review and it was not affordable, usual rubbish.
your bottom level manager who was not included in the review despite how hard they may work, how low they may be paid or even if they received a top rating in their PDR will have this extra stress added to them and will have to break this news to you.
I am nearing retirement after spending my many years having done the most i can do to look after people in this supposedly people first company and this is the worst i have known it to be and i feel i have been left with no choice for the sake of the wonderful people i work with some of which have to work 2 jobs to make ends meet.
I have my monthly meet with my customer next week and I will be sharing this news and I invite you all to join me in sharing this with yours too.

they need to know before they sign any further projects.
it may just make them think twice about who they give their money to and with any luck move some of their business in house or to somewhere that actually cares about people

Layoff and RTO fatigue. The beatings will continue until morale improves or people quit.

Scene: Corporate office conference room. A banner reads “Forward Together.” It’s hanging slightly crooked.

⸻

EMPLOYEE:
Mr. Go-Go, thanks for sitting down with me. Employees have some questions about the company’s direction over the last few years.

GO-GO:
Of course. Transparency is very important to leadership. That’s why my office door has a window.

⸻

EMPLOYEE:
Some people feel like the company went from an industry leader to… well… struggling a bit.

GO-GO:
I wouldn’t say struggling. I’d say we’ve entered a period of strategic unpredictability.

⸻

EMPLOYEE:
Right. And some employees think leadership decisions might have played a role.

GO-GO:
Impossible. Leadership can’t cause problems. Leadership is what fixes problems. That’s basic leadership.

⸻

EMPLOYEE:
One concern I keep hearing about is the risk of employees talking about unionizing.

GO-GO:
Ah yes, unionization. We’ve studied that extensively.

EMPLOYEE:
What did you conclude?

GO-GO:
That employees tend to talk about unions when they’re unhappy.

EMPLOYEE:
That sounds… concerning.

GO-GO:
Not really. Our solution is simple.

EMPLOYEE:
What’s that?

GO-GO:
We encourage employees not to be unhappy.

⸻

EMPLOYEE:
Another topic people mention is moving operations away from places like Bartlesville, which some say has been keeping the company afloat.

GO-GO:
Yes, we’re very proud of our strategy there.

EMPLOYEE:
Could you explain it?

GO-GO:
Certainly. Bartlesville has been very reliable for decades. Which means it’s clearly time to move away from it.

EMPLOYEE:
Why would reliability be a problem?

GO-GO:
Complacency. If something works too well for too long, people start expecting it to keep working.

⸻

EMPLOYEE:
So the plan is to move resources away from places that are performing well?

GO-GO:
Exactly. Leadership is about bold moves.

EMPLOYEE:
Even if they don’t make sense?

GO-GO:
Especially then. Those are the moves people remember.

⸻

EMPLOYEE:
Some employees say the company culture has become dysfunctional.

GO-GO:
I disagree completely.

EMPLOYEE:
You do?

GO-GO:
Yes. Dysfunction requires coordination, and we have very little of that.

⸻

EMPLOYEE:
What about morale?

GO-GO:
Morale is very important. That’s why we measure it every year.

EMPLOYEE:
What happens after you measure it?

GO-GO:
We measure it again the next year.

⸻

EMPLOYEE:
So what’s your plan to turn things around?

GO-GO:
Simple. We’re forming a task force.

EMPLOYEE:
To fix the problems?

GO-GO:
No, to identify the appearance of problems.

⸻

EMPLOYEE:
And then what?

GO-GO:
Then we’ll form another task force to determine whether the first task force should have existed.

⸻

EMPLOYEE:
Well… that sounds thorough.

GO-GO:
Leadership always is.

⸻

EMPLOYEE:
One last question. Are you confident in the company’s future?

GO-GO:
Absolutely.

EMPLOYEE:
Why’s that?

GO-GO:
Because if things get any worse, expectations will be much easier to exceed.

⸻

EMPLOYEE:
That’s… surprisingly reassuring.

GO-GO:
Thank you. Confidence is the cornerstone of leadership.

⸻

EMPLOYEE:
Well Mr. Go-Go, I appreciate your time.

GO-GO:
Anytime. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have an important meeting.

EMPLOYEE:
About fixing the company?

GO-GO:
No. About changing the banner in this room to say “Strategic Excellence.”

I think it will really boost morale.

(Credit GBT) someone please make a short out of this!!! lol

Even when there's good news (revenues up) Dell somehow manages to turn it into bad news (stiffing everyone on raises, IBPs, promotions, more layoffs, etc).

FU-K this sh-t hole company!!

Does anyone know the final date now?

It’s getting very unproductive in the sense there is no clarity to do or to not do any work?

Rewards are NOT learning experiences and more work... "Rewards" are actually paying employees and giving cost of living increases.

Calling it now, the ONLY people getting these "merit" increases will be leadership and sales peeps. Meanwhile the rest of us will stay stagnant and take on second and third jobs while we try and hunt for a new career in this dumpster fire of a job market.

We got a new ME about 18 months ago. Since then, I've spoken to him like once. Meetings are cancelled or he just never shows up. There are no 1 on 1's. My year end scores might as well be a lottery as my ME has no idea what I am up to. We're being deluged with work from all sides (especially from CEME teams who are a fu--ing disaster and think they run the company) and having to manage it ourselves. We're being given no protection. I don't think he's in charge of any other teams, so I'm struggling to see what he actually does on a day to day basis.

Anyone else seeing a complete lack of leadership at the lower levels?

You can be the best at your job and get passed over because you didn't go to lunch with the right people. I've watched clowns move up while talented people rot in place. It’s beyond demoralizing.

Is this being reported on? Four days in the office is too much, the low morale in the office is ki-ling me.

The job is so stressful, the pressure so relentless, that I can never unplug. Workdays are write-offs. I just exist until the weekend, hoping to finally decompress. And it never happens. Seriously, how is everyone else coping with this?

I'm shocked at how many people I talked to are looking for something better. Heck, some of them said they're not even looking to go up in pay or benefits, they are even willing to take a pay cut to get away. When did we become a place people were so desperate to leave?

Managers here have one talent. Protecting themselves by destroying other people's careers. You'd be better off doing construction than working here.

I got into banking fifteen years ago and thought I'd seen it all. Market swings, mergers, rounds of cuts, new regimes. Through all of it, people kept their job searches quiet. That was the rule. You don't talk about leaving until you're gone. Something's different now. People I've never spoken to are openly discussing interviews they had. Comparing application strategies. Talking about recruiters like they're old friends. The silence is gone. Everyone's looking and nobody's hiding it. That tells me something fundamental has shifted. People aren't just unhappy. They're done pretending.

Something changed. Managers used to be fine. Now they're toxic, yelling, pitting us against each other. Six years here and the last two have been awful. No idea how some of these people still have jobs.

Things were okay until about six months ago, when a new manager showed up and everything shifted. He has clear favorites, people he protects no matter what, while the rest of us get nothing but criticism and constant pressure. The atmosphere has turned toxic in a way you can feel the moment you walk in, and people who used to talk and help each other now mostly keep their heads down and try to stay under the radar. When layoffs first became a probability, I was petrified, but lately I catch myself almost hoping for it, because at least then I would have a reason to leave without it feeling like my fault, and that is honestly where I am now.

Downgrading again of credit rating. Poor results. Low employee morale. Late implementation of integration activities (all sales were supposed to be on new CRM by April now it is only the US). Moving people to low-cost location but they can’t or won’t recruit in time. CFO who presided over millions of loss in LEX. Confusion over new organisation. No clear communication of who is doing what and new process. Unethical practices with suppliers and no paying them. CMO flying all over the world for no reason and yet no inflation raises for anyone. Inconsistent AI strategy. Unclear compensation plans. Stock declining. There may be other things ….

Makes me sick go go on LinkedIn .... and seeing sad-sack Verizon RIF victims “open to work” and not even able to get a G D interview …. intertwined with Verizon execs “Proud to have achieved Diamond Club in the 2025 Verizon Business Group Recognition Program” “Verizon is so good to me” “ Honored and thankful to be a 2025 Diamond 💎 Club Award winner with Verizon Business 🙌” ugh. Just ugh. Would be nice to have a g d job k thx.

I owe you all an apology. Back when those whispers started flying around about big cuts hitting end of Mar, I told people flat-out there weren't going to be layoffs. I was trying to calm nerves, keep morale from tanking, because I genuinely didn't want to believe it . I was wrong. And I'm sorry for giving anyone false hope or making the shock hurt worse when the news landed.

The Frontier stuff closed in Jan, and yeah, the overlap redundancies are real. Then you have got the whole Opex transformation push and AI rolling in faster than anyone expected, quietly eating away at roles we thought were safe. It's not rumors anymore. it's happening peeps.

To everyone who's been let go already, or who's still waiting for the axe, or watching teammates pack up boxes, I'm gutted for you. This su-ks. Really su-ks. Wishing you nothing but the best moving forward: quick landings, decent severance if you got it, and doors opening somewhere that values what you bring. Seriously, good luck.

I'm a natural doer having business results in mind and feel like often times employees at all levels get stuck in overanalyzing minute details that ultimately don't matter toward making a decision. I don't usually have the authority to drop the hammer on these people overanalyzing, but I just want to explode when they go into analysis paralysis. Thankfully I can hide my face on videocam when these people are arguing over minute details or thinking about problems in ways that don't make sense. It's such a morale ki-ler for those of us wanting to get things done.

I've been working long enough to know the difference between a good manager and a bad one. The bad ones are everywhere sure. But the really awful ones, the ones who make you question everything, I found more of them in five years at 3M than in all my other jobs combined. Something about this place attracts them.

Been here long enough to remember when people actually wanted to work here. When leadership led and careers meant something. That place is long gone.

The people at the top made choices that slowly ki-led the culture. Now we just endure instead of feeling part of anything.

New hires show up bright eyed every time but give it a few months and that look fades. That's how long it takes them to figure out how things really work. The rest of us by now know not to give extra. Company will forget you the second it's convenient.

This is our third post discussing Walmart layoffs. We are gratified that our first two posts have proven to be correct and consistent with our Business Intelligence and data gathering processes.

We still think the chances of involuntary separations in the period starting 3/9 through 4/8 is elevated from less than 10% up to 30%. Two factors drive this prediction, but the factor that impacts associates right away is the performance evaluation process. Associates are nervous and they know even if their work has been acceptable, Walmart can and will give out surprise poor performance evaluations as a way to move undesirable associates toward the door. Some will simply quit and that’s a cheap solution for Walmart. Management knows they can use the eval process to move associates out without a WARN notice, so eval time is a good period to start to thin the heard.

After 4/8, all the planning meetings, budget reviews, goals & objectives, reorg and prioritization events will be wrapping up and it will be time to execute on those decisions. Projects to put AI in place to benefit profitability and reduce personnel costs will start and staffing decisions will be firmed up, and unfortunately, started. May has typically been a favorite time for Walmart to do layoff activity and there’s no reason to believe this year will be any different, especially with a new CEO wanting to show a major uptick by the end of Q2.

Regarding the tech mess, Walmart continues to pay the price for bad decisions in the past, such as questionable H1B activity, reliance on contractors, bringing in tech managers and executives who have not delivered, and a host of associate morale and trust issues.

We suggest everyone review Doug’s comments on the future of AI. There’s several nuggets of truth in there and Walmart sees AI as a way to impact operational costs in a positive direction and improve productivity.

We know some form of the following question has been asked to all executives: “How fast can you implement AI solutions and how much headcount will you free up?”

Don’t agree with us? Tell us why.

Just joined the bank and surprised about how messy operation is.. This company is a sinking ship!

The cuts have created major disruptions that no one seems interested in fixing. Entire teams are crippled, many managers can't get up to speed (unsurprisingly), and critical gaps in roles and workload go completely unaddressed. Was there ever a real reorganization plan? Pleasing the markets was never a sustainable long-term strategy.

Another round of layoffs at Verizon is again being presented as part of the company’s transformation. Employees have heard this language before. Each cycle promises a reset and a stronger future for the business.

At the same time former CEO Hans Vestberg has moved into an advisory role at Consello. Like many executives before him he has transitioned from leading a major telecom operator into a position where his relationships and experience in the industry become the product.

For employees watching these cycles repeat the contrast is hard to miss. Workers face uncertainty and job losses while leadership often moves on to new opportunities within the same industry ecosystem.

Telecom is entering one of the largest investment periods in decades. Artificial intelligence data demand and digital infrastructure are reshaping the industry. The real question is whether Verizon is positioning itself to lead that next phase or simply managing costs while others shape the future.

Employees have heard the transformation message many times.

At some point the question becomes simple.

Dan, can you hear them now.

I see people who seem genuinely happy with their work to this day and I don't get it. I can't imagine waking up and feeling that way in the new Dell. I used to feel that way years ago, but so much has changed that now I'm just showing up and counting down the hours most days.

The only smart move is to be on the lookout for something better.

It seems that every day I'm hearing that another person left voluntarily. On top of that I'm not seeing any new names coming in for backfill, or even job postings to try and bring someone in.
It just feels like we're at the breaking point, and I dont know how to recover.

I am so sick of all of the non-stop change that isn't improving a g**mn thing around here. I'm sick of being paid below market, considering all of the licenses I'm required to hold to do my job. I'm sick of HQ people punting every question to another department because they don't know the answer and their leaders don't know what the word accountability means. I'm tired of being the whipping post for every FA that is having a bad day or is told to do something they don't feel like doing.

Therefore, I'm going to su-k it up for just a few more years until I reach the Rule of 70 and can keep my LP units (for whatever they're worth), then I'm out. There are plenty of firms in this industry that will pay far better than Edward Jones.

I hope that every last bit of this Enterprise Reimagined backfires in spectacular fashion and leaves PP/DC and the rest of the ELT that's ruined so many lives on the hook to figure out how to run a firm without any US employees that give a chicken fried f**k about the future of this company.

I'm done. Almost 20 years of my life reduced to hating the place I go to every day to barely break even.

After 20+ years at Verizon, I’ve never seen morale this low or trust in leadership this broken.

Yesterday’s EMEA call was a brutal reminder of where things really stand. Yet today we’re all expected to log in, smile on calls, and carry on as if nothing happened.

What makes it worse is the constant stream of polished messaging from management and our Exec team that feels completely disconnected from reality. We’re told everything is about “transformation,” “strategy,” and “opportunities,” while RIFs happen all the time and the remaining staff are expected to absorb the work.

I feel like we’re being gaslighted.

Everyone knows AI is coming and it will fundamentally change large parts of the workforce and remove even more jobs at a rate much higher than we've known before. Employees aren’t stupid. Most of us have decades of experience and can see exactly what’s happening.

What’s astonishing is the apparent belief from leadership that the workforce will just nod along and accept whatever narrative is being presented.

After more than two decades here, I’ve never seen this level of distrust between employees and leadership. People can deal with tough decisions and difficult change. What they struggle with is the feeling that the truth is being managed rather than communicated.

Right now, the biggest gap in this company isn’t technology or strategy. It’s credibility.

I was w/AMN healthacare for 3 years as a certified remote video medical interpreter. I held consistent 5 star rating, so much so that every year my wages were raised, but today , about 200 of us received a bullsh-t internal email , an email that once read , dissapeared. I thought this was peculiar , but never thought it was a worse case scenario.The email was intenionally vague,it said that we were to place in "meeting " status ..I was working right till the time, then after finishing the call, i placed my self on " meeting" i waited along w others in the teams app, suddenly w/o warning , some collegues w sudden sadness starting writing they are letting all of us go...I couldnt believe it ! No , than you, nothing just a lame email afterwards, It was quite sad , we couldnt even say bye to our collegues.I will miss you guys ! AMN behaved like pu----s... I hope that company,

Anyone see the disclosures of the C suite pay? Some notes

1. GK got about $17MM. AC $19MM. Note GK’s pay went up 60%!!!
2. They were reimbursed about $150k for personal financial planning.
3. Gunjan was reimbursed $300k for her housing here, commuting back to her home state and personal use of private jet
4. AC still got $8k of personal home security paid for
5. Jodi got a THREE MILLION DOLLAR retention bonus

Meanwhile everyone else gets a 3% bump tops, 20% no raises and they actually wonder why trust in the MC is low? Kinda funny actually.

https://d18rn0p25nwr6d.cloudfront.net/CIK-0000036104/39f53130-145f-4bed-bfad-5ad9c29f97e8.pdf

I'd be settled somewhere new by now, instead of sitting here praying my number doesn't get called. I don't even recognize this place anymore, and I know it's just going to get worse.

Funny, I accidentally clicked into a layoff thread from 2019 and started reading. Didn’t realize it was old. The post very similar and relatable to today. It’s been bad for a long time.

The stock is at a multi-year low today of $118.40. No leadership, poor morale due to no leadership and no competitive advantage. The best and the brightest are jumping ship to competitors or just outright leaving as they are making less money year over year. WTF are we doing? There is No Plan coming from the Executive Team. There is poor messaging coming from the Executive Team. The Executive Team has negotiated their own severance packages through 2029. The Executive Team needs to go now.

I'm fed up of management through fear. You can scare people into doing two or three jobs for the price of one for a while, but not forever. Eventually we just stop giving a damn and go back to doing just our original job. I 'm at the point where I don't give a damn if they fire me or not. I'm just done.

I've been working here for two years and still don't understand how they keep the lights on. The people running this place make decisions that hurt the business constantly. They ignore what customers want, run off good staff, and act surprised when sales drop. It's a miracle we're still around.