Thread regarding ViacomCBS layoffs

@13z I was in August group last year and I chose not to contest or negotiate BUT per the package I received it said that I had a few weeks to actually sign the agreement. During that time I would still receive severance payments but if I didn’t sign after the allotted time period I would have to the severance money back. I say this to say: if the packages are anything like last year than you don’t have the agree(sign) the package right then thus giving you time to negotiate or hire/consult with an attorney if you wanted to. Im in TN and I dont believe we have a warn notice because our office was smaller if im not mistaken. I add the warn thing in because there were people talking about lawsuits and warn violations at that time which im sure were brought if anyone decided to negotiate or may have affected negotiations. Might not be a bad idea to research the warn part too for your state. Hope this helped.

Was anyone able to negotiate successfully in previous rounds? Or was it more take it or leave it?

Curious if they’ll be more or less ‘generous’ or ‘flexible’ this time around with the impending merger.

since more leaks are happening anyone have insight to the packages for this round of cuts?

@10d what was your title?

I got 4 weeks. I was a couple of weeks from vesting, so I lost big time on my 401k. Really sh---y end to what was otherwise a great work experience.

If it helps anyone - I was a coordinator who had been with the company for almost 13 years, out of the NY office. I got 6 months worth of pay when I was let go in December (3 months bc of WARN, then 3 months of severence)

Probably not a good sign that someone from compensation viewed my profile on LinkedIn today eh?

"if you report to a building location with less than 50 laid off - HR will say it doesn’t “qualify”. This is true and be warned they will always try to give you the absolute least amount of severance possible.

I wish nobody was getting laid off but if layoffs have to happen please let it be people that deserve it

@ng My understanding is the minimum OR 2w for every year you’ve been here (round down).
Assistants - 4w min
Coor - 8w min
Manager - 12w min
Dir - 16w min
VP and above are usually contract paid out (52w cap)

WARN is questionable, HR in the past has tried to say it’s based on your office location and WARN is 50+ people in a 30 day period. i.e. per HR if you report to a building location with less than 50 laid off - HR will say it doesn’t “qualify”. Seems sketch, but I imagine that’s what the class action is figuring out. If WARN is paid out, in the past I’ve heard it was on top but lately I heard it could be offset against the minimum.

Last year, here were the severance payouts (lifted this info from a doc from HR):

Manager or below - minimum 4 weeks, max 52 weeks
Director - minimum 16 weeks, max 52 wks
VP - minimum 32 weeks, max 52 weeks
SVP+ - the better of contract terms OR 52 weeks (no other adjustment for tenure).

I believe the calculation was two weeks per year. Knowing this company, the payouts this year may be lower.

So what exactly is the severance? 2 weeks per year of service or 3 months, whichever is higher?

@k1 I appreciate the positive intent, but saying “you’ll be fine” can feel dismissive to those facing real hardship. When I was laid off right before the pandemic, it took me 2 years to find work again—I nearly lost everything and had to rely on Medicaid and food stamps. For many, 1 missed paycheck can mean crisis. It’s important to acknowledge that reality.

My paystubs after layoff say “Severance”
Honestly just be happy to get anything, many people in this country are getting two weeks no matter what
I know it is scary, but you will survive - I am still chugging along months and months later

@fa a director gets 16 weeks? Wait. Isn’t severance your salary….? So if I’ve been here 13 years I’d get more than 16 weeks. So confused

@fa so by that logic, a director with 10 years gets less severance than a manager with 10 years? 🤔

@OP senior managers and below get 2 weeks per every year of service. Directors and senior directors get approx. 16 weeks or 4 months of salary. VPs and above get 36 - 52 weeks of their salary.

This is at the heart of the class action lawsuit filed against paramount. They don’t adhere to WARN in NY State and instead continue to pay salary and don’t call it ‘severance’. You have to sign a waiver post dated that says you will not attempt to sue Paramount for any cause, which protects them from illegally not adhering to WARN. So, take the salary and don’t sign the papers. Instead, reach out to the attorney overseeing the class action and join the suit.

https://deadline.com/2024/10/paramount-layoffs-lawsuit-class-action-1236106875/

@dn three years ish

Is it true about vp getting a year?

@df How long had she been with the company?

my co worker got the warn time only - 3 months but she was insured that whole time through payroll deduction like normal and was only offered cobra for the time after that - she was done by the friday and was off email and arrangements for her laptop made
september layoff
non union employee
informed by waiting for email that day

I was there for 3 years and 1 month and received 6 weeks severance, 30 days of health which still came out of my check and my paramount plus subscription was cut off within a week or 2.

The minimum is 3 months because they don’t report WARN. After that, the rest is evaluated like you suggested, which I think is not on top of the three months. Also, a lot of it depends on your position. Most people I know who VPS and get let go almost automatically get a year.