#morale

So what’s everyone doing this weekend to soften the tension?

I drove 4 hours for a car show and really tested the abilities of my 72 Triumph TR6 on the highway. Guess what? We aren’t dead yet.

Maybe some warhammering Sunday night after I get back.

What about yall? Don’t drink too heavily.

So many dissatisfied employees comment here.
Why don’t they leave F5?
Can’t find another job? Hmm.

So many former employees comment here.
Why are they wasting their time?
Can’t find another job? Hmm.

Seems like the answers are obvious.

Dose of reality for those newer to working.
No job or company is perfect. Many are far from it.
F5 isn’t perfect. But it’s a paycheck. It’s decent benefits.
Bad mouth leadership until you are blue in the face, it won’t change anything.
So take a deep breath.
Take another deep breath.
Stop wasting your time on things outside your control.
The commenting isn’t burning calories, or teaching you a new skill, or fixing anything. So why are you continuing to do it?

Get back some free time! Don’t give it to F5!

Is this a version of He-l ?

I work today but who knows about tomorrow

Trust? They destroyed that. They don’t care.

Remember to keep your soul, give them 8 hours, but not your soul.

They don’t care.

https://www.tipranks.com/news/microsoft-stock-nasdaqmsft-gains-morale-at-an-all-time-low

From Christine Guerrero's twitter: Check on your friends in oil & gas. Many aren’t doing well. This from a friend at BP today.

https://x.com/SheDrills/status/1969053712514494535

Fascinating how a storied and successful company like Marathon with a unique culture and technical achievements can disappear and not be relevant again. This is testament to leadership drive for self enrichment and the middle managers who destroyed the morale of the organization.

There’s no plan grounded in the real world, hard work, or long-term sustainability. All leadership seems to see are dollar signs, chasing ideas that are increasingly risky and unrealistic, while leaving real people out of the equation. It’ll be a great party right up until everything comes crashing down, “unexpectedly”.

Sad to see some really strong technical folks pushed out over the years and now it’s starting to show with those remaining burned out juggling the additional responsibilities. A week of meetings and nothing to show but follow up meetings.. Demoralising watching some really good people no longer speaking up on calls anymore as they are fed up an burned out.
Top table need to take responsibility for their actions. JC and AL need to go. Time for fresh visionary leadership and direction with a major clear out overdue.

It seems that nobody knows anything except maybe a handful of EVPs and higher. In meetings, mgmt and HR reps can't offer any new information, just repeating the same known facts over and over again. Morale is at all time low and feels like people just pretend to be busy, while in reality not much gets done. Projects and initiatives got identified as at risks, with TBD plans to move forward. Nobody dares to make decisions for the future without knowing what resources will be available to complete the tasks or even if they themselves will be here after Oct. Meanwhile UFC will start in Jan! Seems that everyone is waiting for something to happen and for some new morsel of information, but nobody is able to come up with anything.

Not sure how much longer we can withstand this situation or recover from it after the dust settles in Nov.

I just wanted to provide my experience as someone who has been "ISPed." While I can appreciate the capability to look for a role (whether in Jones or outside) and get paid (something you probably wouldn't get anywhere else...which helps), from my perception things are literally a "free for all." So what I mean by that is everyone, whether ISP or not has probably been impacted. Moved to another location, new role, demotion, I've heard loss of pay in some instances, etc. So everyone is shell shocked to all fu-k and just not happy...period. Morale is a total sh-t show and people are still swirling in what the new world will look like so not much productivity seems to be happening.

So where I am going with all this is the people that are not ISP'ed are storming the gates for these new jobs and those that are ISP'ed are getting shut out. I cannot say any more than that but I truly wish all of you who are impacted the best. If you do have an opportunity to stay on then I hope you are treated with the respect you deserve.

Take care all and best wishes.

one thing i really miss from corporate sales is the slow unraveling of everyone around me.

sales is stressful. the quotas are heavy, the customers are demanding, and the pressure never really ends. the obvious signs of burnout are easy to spot, but there are also quieter ones, little signals that someone is sinking into what you could call corporate depression.

the first is education. when someone suddenly decides they need an online mba, even though they never mentioned it before, that’s not ambition — that’s usually a cry for help.

the second is airline status. when a salesperson becomes obsessed with hitting the next tier, it usually means they’re spiraling. i remember once flying to chicago on december 30th, just for lunch, and flying back the same day. it wasn’t about chicago. it was about the airline points.

the third, and most serious, is whisk-y. not just buying more bottles, but diving deep into regions and styles. i had a friend in seattle who proudly told me he only drank scotch from islay. we even argued about how to pronounce it. the whole conversation was absurd — two burned-out salespeople debating peat while quietly falling apart.

and the company’s answer? quarterly video calls with hr where the sales team does breathing exercises over zoom. lawsuits and mental health claims piling up, and their defense is, “well, we had them exhale together.”

corporate sales was many things, but above all it was a master class in pretending everything was fine while quietly losing your mind.

They can’t all be gone can they?

Where they at?

With over 20 years experience in contracting and network management, recently at a senior level, I’m not getting the time of day by other employers. It’s a bunch of thanks but no thanks. I did get an offer to apply as a pharmacy tech at CVS for $16/hr though - so that’s promising. 😉
Word of caution, hang on to what you have until you have somewhere else to go. I know it’s hard, and the corporate su-k is su-king hard, but if you are not financially independent it’s going to really rough for awhile.

Another day watching the stock tank. The street must be catching wind of what turmoil exists internally with employees and no clear strategy/leadership. I was Riff'd about 2 weeks ago and know many great employees that took the ERP. Louisville can be considered a "big city" but it's more of a "big community". Word spreads fast when there's this much dissatisfaction. So unfortunate for a company that had promise and a purpose, (not financially driven) many years ago.

within DSE we had 4 eliminated roles this week, one person forced out (morale is super low). What’s happening in the other parts of tech?

With all the negative publicity about the company over the last year, I wouldn't be surprised if this is one of the worst peak seasons as far as enrollees are concerned. Thoughts?

The stricter RTO is just part of it. Eternal reorganization, months of uncertainty about what’s coming for each of us - that’s another layer. Teams are in chaos, handling workloads meant for far more people. Managers seem completely oblivious to anxious, restless, overworked, burnt-out employees. It’s all either by design or sheer disregard for the workforce. Either way, it might come back to bite them, as the best people are always the first to leave.

CVE is run by arrogant corporate snakes. They are making money hand over fist. They don’t need to layoff. Employees are a necessary evil until they’ve used you for what they need. Everyone is out for themselves at CVE - they don’t trust you and you can’t trust them. Laying off a bunch of hard working people and arrogantly saying you will just “do less”. I’ve never seen such id--tic things. Is this company real or a nightmare? #USW #Strike #2026

The office has become a shell. For those who have returned, it feels like working in a morgue — silence, no collaboration, no energy. At least at home people could put the radio on and feel some life around them. We tried free coffee for a week, but once that was gone, so were the people. Now we have staff commuting in only to sit in isolation on video calls. It is soul-destroying, and I worry about the mental impact on those who are complying. If management isn’t prepared to properly enforce office attendance, then this halfway approach is pointless and damaging.

As if 2025 hasn’t been hard enough for CSG sales, now comes yet another price increase. This increase is on top of all the other increases we have had to manage.

For reps who have sold deals at a high GP, this is yet another reminder that the company doesn’t want to pay you. Paying reps 2% overrides is the driving force here because they know deep down customers will not pay the increase. They will simply go to another vendor.

It’s time to fight back and sit down. As much as it will hurt all of us, I suggest that we sit back in October and sell nothing. Sandbag all your deals in an effort to let the powers that be that they can not just increase our pricing model. Our compensation and the way we make a living is predicated by the price of the box we sell. Write me up, threaten to fire me, do whatever you want. The bigger concern should be the amount of people that will leave come January 1st. Making $50k with little to know upside is not a real job folks. This company is pushing you out and you don’t see it.

It’s no longer a job, it’s survival mode every single day. Layoffs keep rolling in like clockwork and management counts on everyone being too scared to fight back - and they're right! Everybody stays quiet and the bullying and power trips just keep getting worse. I’ve never seen morale this wrecked or people this scared to breathe wrong at work.

I’m just so over it. I just want to do my godda-n job and not have to wonder every day what’s coming next.

It'd be great to know what's going on. With some people saying it's started and others claiming nothing is happening, I'm starting to get a headache - and I'm not even going to mention my productivity for today. Some clarity from leadership so we actually know what's true would be amazing.

If there ever was a time to drop this place like a hot potato, it's now.

Every time you even think about buying a house or starting a family there’s another round of layoffs or news of more outsourcing. I can't plan beyond tomorrow with the way things are right now. I would leave if I could, but jobs are scarce so I'm stuck. How are people with families dealing with this, I have no idea.

I’m on what’s left of a team (and I use the term very loosely at this point) that used to actually function, and now I’m basically drowning. If we ignore the fact I’ve lost coworkers who were like family, having to cover all their jobs with the few people we have left has all of us considering quitting, even without something else lined up. They expect too much of us.

Dear Valued Employees,

As your fearless leader, I wanted to take a moment—between yacht meetings and bonus recalculations—to share my deep appreciation for everything you do to keep this company running while I take credit for it.

This quarter, we achieved record profits thanks to strategic decisions like laying off 20% of the workforce. I know some of you may be “concerned” about job security, but rest assured: my job is very secure.

Now, let’s talk about our exciting Return to Office initiative. While remote work increased productivity, morale, and sanity, we believe that forcing you back into cubicles fosters “collaboration.” What does that mean? We’re not sure. But it sounds good in shareholder meetings.

We’ve installed new badge scanners to track your arrival times, because nothing says trust like surveillance. And don’t worry—we’ve added inspirational posters in the break room to offset the existential dread.

As for me, I’ll continue working remotely from my ski lodge in Aspen. But I’ll be with you in spirit—and in quarterly earnings calls where I say “synergy” a lot.

Let’s keep pushing boundaries, cutting costs, and pretending this is all for innovation.

Warmest regards (from my heated pool),
Mike Wirth

People show up, smile, type a few things, but you can tell they’re already planning their next move. It feels like working in a ghost town where everyone’s just waiting for the moment they can leave. RTO only made it clearer how miserable we all are at Dell.

Ever thought thru an issue, come up with a tangible improvement and presented to your supervisor only to have them dismiss it or say it won’t work?
Then, surprise! Months later the same suggestion comes full circle, now for implementation, from that same boss as THEIR idea. They take the credit and collect the accolades (and financial bump).
I had this happen with 2 Brit bosses in London. Really, almost verbatim of my plans.
How do you guard against this? Talk about demoralizing when you’re trying to be proactive and your ideas are usurped by your superiors.
Sound familiar? How do you derail this behavior?

Is it just me? Or are people in different parts of the company feeling this weird feeling of disconnection?

Feels like people don't communicate anymore. Even the executives don't. Like they've given up. People seem to be going through the motions.

Haven't really sensed this before 2025 but I am really feeling it and I can't shake it. Just wondering if I'm the only one.

Year after year, month after month..I'm having to constantly hear through my manager and from peers that the group I'm in will just shut down. The 'leadership' above us seems to think that the automation that is used in conjunction to our work just 'does what do and there's no need for us', when we pointed out time and time again the instances showing how flawed the automation is, and why the need for human intervention is valid and needed otherwise other groups would be impacted with no one there to catch and fix these issues. Our group is just a very small team of individuals and It's shear ignorance for anyone to think this automation is just 'set it and forget it'.

I dont know what to do anymore, im tired of having to be reminded constantly that we're probably done for...despite hearing this now for a LONG time. It's making me physically sick and I dont know what the point is in me busting my a$$ or giving my all when I feel like im not even wanted.

I ask of those who are in a similar situation for any helpful advice, please no sarcastic responses.

A company like Verizon, which provides a consumer service, is fundamentally dependent on a healthy and stable customer base. By adopting a strategy that prioritizes short-term financial gains from cost-cutting at the expense of its workforce's stability, it is playing a dangerous long-term game. The evidence suggests that a business that fails to add societal value by being a stable and responsible employer will likely face a downward spiral of a damaged brand, customer churn, and ultimately, lost revenue. The very technology that is supposed to make the company more profitable could, in the long run, lead to its economic decline if it guts the consumer base that is essential for its survival.

At the very least, it shows that few people have any confidence in what’s ahead, from how the layoffs will be handled and RTO forced through, to what things will look like once the dust settles. I’m really curious what the final total of opt-outs will be.

I just had my second check in with my great champion supervisor. Well it is not going so good. I am dependent on training with another employee for one of the tasks. This person has been out on vacation for three weeks and not trained me at all. This employee also shows no enthusiasm to help me at all. I have asked the supervisor for help but not gotten any. I talked to hr and was told the supervisor was in charge of the pip plan. It really feels like they are setting me up to fail the pip. I cannot complete one of the task without guidance from this employee. I am keeping all documentation and meeting notes. In am thinking of getting a lawyer to look at them and or intervene. I am in my late 40's and have 10 years plus in. I was never encouraged to try the pip and was pushed to take the pil and leave.My supervisor seems bothered by the whole thing and shows no care or encouragement for me passing. The hr rep is even worse.I was told I could give up and convert to pil and leave if I feel as if I am not going to be successful.

Verizon's strategy of using technology to become more "efficient" and cut its workforce is harming employee morale. The company's relentless focus on cost-cutting and a perceived lack of value for its employees will, I hope, lead to a downward spiral in public perception.

Verizon is offshoring jobs to India and Ireland and plans to significantly reduce its engineering workforce over the next few years. The company has already completed AI test cases for some roles, indicating a future need for only 10% of the current team. Even more cuts are expected with the development of 6G and a "touchless network." Verizon's focus on short-term financial gains will likely outweigh the long-term public and economic fallout.

Since 2012, Verizon has laid off around 48% of its workforce. These employees had families and friends who most likely used Verizon's services, and I'm sure the company has lost those customers and will lose more with future layoffs. When a company lays off a large number of employees, those former workers will voice their frustration online, damaging the brand's reputation.

RTO kickstarted the gossip-mill. “So and so did/said/posted this!!” Did. Ot miss that at all.

I recently started working in Midland and have been amazed by how upset and demoralized everyone is. Seems like each group sees the other group as their enemy. Serious lack of harmony. Has it always been this way?

I don’t mean any disrespect to those who lost their jobs... I’ve just gone numb by now.

Please, please, please move all your insurance over to Progressive to help them expand their #1 position. Tell all your friends and family. State Farm is too expensive, we all know the service su-ks with the trash we hire and hit useless agents and Execs in the pocket book. If we can help SF shrink more and make the Execs look bad, they will have no choice but to start cutting people and offering the severance to more people. Especially for those of us in claims who just want the he-l out of the total dumpster fire. Between the MT legacy and "2040 cancer" that is eating away everything once decent about SF, it needs to be known as the greatest disaster in the history of business. This place is a total sh-t show.

Received my 'invitation' to participate and complete this survey which is a vital part of Leadership's efforts to proactively manage Truist's health. After Dr McKinsey provides the results from the check-up, wonder what medication will be prescribed? Imagine antidepressants and reflux medications will on the list.