Layoffs are hard, and my heart goes out to the hundreds, possibly thousands, of people affected. Losing your job right before the holidays is cruel, but it’s typical Comcast. Get as much work as possible out of people throughout the year, then lay them off right before the holidays. Anyone who has worked there long enough knows this isn’t surprising.
But let’s address the elephant in the room.
Comcast was a big frat. A good ol’ boys club, and if you weren’t part of it, you knew it. There were people who became directors because they were someone’s favorite, not because they were qualified to lead. People with little experience moved into corporate positions and management roles they had no business being in. Some were absolutely terrible managers who had no idea how to lead or treat people. And let’s not forget some of the women in management who were just as nasty, demeaning, and demoralizing, often treating others terribly just to protect their own positions.
How many great employees quit, were fired, or were pushed out because they didn’t fit into that culture? How many people spoke up about something they knew was wrong and suddenly found themselves being targeted? How many qualified employees were denied opportunities because they weren’t friends with the hiring manager or part of the right circle?
Let’s be honest. For years, Comcast rewarded favoritism, politics, and a-s-kissing over actual talent. Some of the worst managers continued getting promoted while good employees were overlooked, mistreated, or forced out. And plenty of those managers took credit for work their employees did.
I honestly believe Comcast needed to clean house decades ago. There have been far too many people in leadership positions making terrible decisions with absolutely no accountability for how those decisions affected employees.
And to those managers, directors, and senior leaders who climbed the ladder by kissing enough a-s, playing favorites, taking credit for other people’s work, and treating employees like they were disposable, I hope you have the day and life you deserve.
I hope your job search is as difficult as you made life for the people you ostracized, bullied, or fired. I hope you understand what it feels like to be treated as though you’re irrelevant, the same way you made countless employees feel worthless or not good enough.
I hope you sit through an interview knowing you’re qualified, only to find out the position was already promised to someone’s friend. I hope you experience being judged before you’ve even had a chance to speak. I hope you finally have to answer questions about work you never actually did but were more than happy to take credit for. And I hope you find out that having a director title at Comcast doesn’t automatically mean you’re qualified to lead anywhere else.
Maybe then you’ll understand what you put people through.
I know some people won’t like hearing this, but there were a lot of good employees who suffered under terrible leadership at Comcast, and those people deserve to have their experiences acknowledged, too.
With that said, I am genuinely sorry to the good people who were affected by these layoffs. Losing your livelihood is scary, especially during the holidays, and nobody deserves to be blindsided like that.
But I promise you, there is life after Comcast. A whole world exists outside that company, and there are employers who will recognize your experience, appreciate your contributions, and treat you with respect.
Don’t let Comcast make you question your worth. Go find an industry you’re passionate about and a company that actually values you. Sometimes leaving a place like that, even when it wasn’t your choice, turns out to be the best thing that could have happened to you.
Keep your head up. You’re going to be fine, and I genuinely believe that.
And for those who spent years making other people’s lives miserable, I hope this is a reminder that how you treat people matters. You never know when you’ll find yourself on the other side of the table.