Barring this RTO, which just puts the fine point on my concerns. Is it me, or has Fidelity turned colder and more cutthroat these past few months??
I keep thinking of December 2025 and the outlook seemed brilliant like the stars and now it feels where in a black hole.
@OP https://www.facebook.com/share/v/17TZF21Bc9/
@ef - you sound like the typical middle manager that doesn’t trust people to get their work done and purposely holds people back from promotions because you don’t want to see others surpass you. Miserable way to live being jealous of others and wanting to control them.
@ef your idea of a "righting of the ship" is making life miserable for 80k employees to avoid demoting or laying off a few hundred? If that is, in fact your honest assessment, you should be the one worried about your own job with reasoning skills like that.
I’ve been with Fidelity for 25 years and don’t see this as a “colder” move. It is righting of the ship. For the last 6-8 years people have been taking advantage of the policies and abusing “flexibility”. Promotions were handed out like candy with just about anyone with a pulse being made a VP. Now people are being held accountable for their actual performance and work ethic. A bunch of the problems were caught up in the RIF, more are getting shed due to RTO attrition, the next round of layoffs in 2027 will be cleaning up undue promotions (if you are a IC VP I would be updating that resume or bracing for a demotion)
@ck nothing specific other than the sentiment has certainly changed everyone I deal with is upset uptight unhappy. Maybe the rto hangover idk but it seems like everyone is walking on eggshells. Theres a lot f micromanaging feel like everyone’s afraid to step out early or wfh with the flu that all adds up to high negativity hostile workplace. I agree I think HR has too great a voice and I think they are the apparatchik of the governor.
Been here over 20 years and can say recent years have been the worst it's felt working at this company. Had a recent conversation with my direct manager, who has been here for about 5 years, about how bureaucratic this place has become recently. Either Abby is completely changing management styles or HR has a much louder voice than they previously did
@ck Would say it is the increase in workload, the increased micro managing & less importance placed on the value of the employees. In the past 18 months my role has been a dumping ground of added responsibilities and metrics without significant pay increase considerations. What's funny to me is given all that has been added onto the role makes me question why would anyone want to work in this role? What was once considered a destination role is now something to be avoided like the plague. It is starting to feel like Fidelity as a whole is becoming an employer to be avoided as well. I don't think we're there yet but what made Fidelity a competitive employer while being known as the low payer was the culture- take that away and Fidelity will need to be way more competitive with regards to salaries.
@an so, what has changed for you to make you feel that way. You're getting paid, getting bonuses. Is it the extra perks that you are referring too? Is it more work than before? RTO? What is the actual reason you feel that way.
@am I heard the extra bonus last year was the bbus money that they took away from those who did not come into the office. We reaped the benefit of their punishment?
I wrote that original post I’ve been here almost 5 years I thought I was so lucky to get the role. I left a slave driving financial institution and sadly, I feel that same vibe creeping in so I didn’t have the full pleasure of prior to Covid but it sure seems like this past year I’m falling into that black hole again. I didn’t like it then, and I’m not liking the change at Fidelity. I’m not naive but you can be an exceptionally profitable company and be an enjoyable place to work simultaneously.
Makes me worry for the future not just for my career snd job satisfaction but for Fidelity a very respected company losing its sheen.
Idk why they gave us that eoy bonus last year and then weeks later nickel and dime... and penny pinch.
@ad wholesale change in executive leadership. I don't remember the exact timeline because as it was happening it didn't necessarily seem intentional at the time, but once the dust settled there was about a 1 year period where 4 or 5 c-suite positions were turned over, all of which seemed very unceremonious in nature, and those installed to fill the vacancies have done nothing but "yes ma'am" the entire time, all while conditions are degrading.
@ad the adults left ( I think most were pushed out). Charlatans and yes people were installed instead. I do not think there's anyone at the company who can sway L0's mind anymore. I think Kathy leaving had a huge impact.
@a7 To the folks who said there was a change 2-3 years ago, were there any major executive or senior leadership team changes during that period?
@OP This kind of thing is ubiquitous in Corporate America today. Sadly, it isn't just Fidelity.
@a5 came here to say exactly this. For those who know, there was a definite turning point roughly 2-3 years ago when the downward spiral started, and while it's certainly accelerated as of late, it has been smoldering for some time.
Ahhh, to remember the days of working from home full time, work from home spending allowance, bonuses of $5k during Covid, and $10/daily to spend in the cafeteria. The glory days. I was certain I worked for the greatest company.
few months.... How about like 2.5 years!!!!
It's not you, the company has turned into the greed machine. It's almost as if the company is desperate to hold on and grow share.