Thread regarding ViacomCBS layoffs

@bd They've been threatening to go down to 1 floor for a while, but every time the conversation comes up, they realize they need both floors. All the servers in the CMR got shipped to NYC back in January, so the only real reason they've kept the lease is for the CBS Sports team, international personnel, and local productions (CMT).

@ev Being unable to move your family to a new state to keep your job with less than 2 weeks notice isn't "voluntary;" it's a threat.

There are states where a situation like this still qualifies for unemployment.

@fp Right, I’m aware, which is why I replied as I did. Not sure what point you’re trying to make.

@bs EVPs and SVPs were NOT informed ahead of time.

But the RTO is a notable change in working conditions through no fault of our own. Isn't there some eligibility criteria that covers change in working conditions? In CA, you are eligible for benefits if there's a reduction in pay or if your working conditions become hazardous.

Unemployment benefits are for those who are laid off or terminated through no fault of their own. What on earth makes you think taxpayers would pay for your unemployment benefits because you voluntarily chose to leave? And if you claim otherwise, then that is fraud.

@er Depends on what state.
In NY, you cannot.
In California, you might be able to. Def look that up.

@er No.

If you take the severance option in Los Angeles are you eligible for unemployment afterwards? Does anyone know?

does anyone know what will happen to the other offices (miami, SF, etc)?

DE is an absolute LOSER for this. Buys Paramount with daddy’s money and 0 real experience, and this is the first decision he makes? Not even hybrid, but full 5 days? Like I’m sorry you hate your wife, family and home life but that’s not reason to uproot an entire company so he can have people blow smoke up his a-s at the water cooler. Serious loser move.

@c8 stfu you literally have no idea what you're saying.

@cj I've been here 6 YEARS and im getting 12 weeks. So i guess they really don't give a sh*t

Been here about a month. I’m getting 12 weeks.

Everyone worked in an office just a few years ago. People who are committed to their jobs will stay and the rest will not be missed. Sorry to the complainers won’t be able to spend their work hours on child care anymore This is the smartest thing DE has done.

@be you are not legally mandated to inform the company if you find a new job. If you don’t tell them, you get your full severance which you are ENTITLED to.

@c1 Might want to save the replies until after your hangover tomorrow, because this isn’t about being “ok” with arbitrary RTO.

And you’re right...we should all just shrug and say “no big deal” because the execs who’ve been coasting for 20 years were blindsided 🙃 Disney (and plenty of others) announced 4-day RTO two years ago (and honestly, I wish ours matched SD at 4 days), but sure, SVPs here couldn’t have possibly connected the dots. The rollout is still a mess and leadership is out of touch… both things can be true.

Welp pack it all up guys the VP levels we hate are out of touch so we should just be a ok with the new nepobaby exec’s arbitrary company wide RTO 5-days a week!!! Who cares if it could have been done more strategically or with regard for logistics? Your svp should have seen it coming because of Disney or whatever!

@bp Sure, maybe DE didn’t relay this to all the VPs, but SVPs who’ve been comfortable in their roles for 10-25+ years getting blindsided isn’t shocking...it’s proof they’ve been completely ignoring industry trends. Disney announced a 4-day-a-week RTO over 2 years ago, yet leadership here seems utterly disconnected. And why would DE even tell VPs? He’s our CEO, so he only communicates directly with his C-level directs. This isn’t a communication failure: it’s a reality check that SVPs have been living in a bubble, totally out of touch with both their company and the media landscape.

@bn DE and his crew DID not relay this information to many at the VP level, maybe a few. A friend and co-worker at VP level called me today extremely upset and blindsided by today’s email.

@bj I’ve been anticipating this for the past 3-4 years, having been laid off from multiple media companies over the last decade, and being below manager level, it’s almost laughable that SVPs “had no clue this was coming.” It also explains why I struggled to find work years ago and struggled being unemployed for well over a year: the execs I interviewed with couldn’t wrap their heads around why I’d been laid off so often. The disconnect between leadership and reality here is staggering, and it perfectly illustrates how wildly out of touch some veteran leaders are with both their own company and the industry as a whole.

This is the most insane work day I’ve had in my entire career. The amount of SVP’s, who had no clue this was coming, was insane. Even the higher-ups were left in the dark.

And I’m not even really stung by it, as it’s almost too absurd to believe.

But this is not even about the layoffs, it’s more about how wildly out of touch a man can be with his own company.

@be Yes, that's how severance works.

@bb according the the email phase 1 it should have gone out to everyone VP and below in LA and NY - remote and everyone else is phase 2

@be ya that’s what they tell you.

So if you get another job in the middle of your “period” after being laid off before your last official day just don’t say anything and move on. Corporate America doesn’t care if and when they lay people off so don’t go and be honest. They don’t even check. Just take your check, apply, work at your new job and be quite.

@bc am I reading this right or do we stop getting paid severance if we get another job before the severance period ends? The last time I went through this at another company they just sent a bulk check if you got another job..

@ba, I'm in Nashville too but have been remote since 2020. Do you know when the lease is up? They're down to 1 floor at this point, right?

@b4 So basically tenure with the company means very little in this process. A VP here for just one year gets the same # of weeks payout as a VP who's been here for 16 years. Nice going HR Dept. Can't even determine severance payouts fairly.

@b6 did the severance email go out to everyone or were only certain people targeted for an offer?

I was told that freelancers will also be expected to be in the office 5 days a week... my office is in Nashville, and there have been rumors that they will not renew the lease on the building. Basically, I'm sc--wed because freelancers aren't eligible for the severance package, so I either have to uproot my life to one of two cities (both of which I cannot afford to live in), or lose my job with no package.

@b8 It went to all divisions. Anyone who was hybrid and coded for an office location in NY/LA metro.

What parts of the company (Paramount, cable, news??) received layoff email notifications with a specific offer for you, and when did you receive them?

Does anyone know how this will affect non-staff or union employees? I've been remote since I was hired 10 years ago.

@b4 following up if anyone wants to see the document, if you click the severance email, go to the form then click the hyperlinked "Paramount Severance Plan" you can read the whole document and see this info in there.

@b3 Correct

Saw a document that said 2 weeks of severance per full year of service, however directors and senior directors get a minimum of 16 weeks. Vps get a minimum of 32 weeks. Svps get a minimum of 52 weeks.

so for the last poster- still 3000 layoffs and any people who don't want RTO are just extra bonus money is that what you have heard ?

@b - I guess those that opted for RTO and get impacted by layoffs would still a similar severance pkg is what I'm thinking.

@b0 Layoffs are still going to happen end of Oct/early Nov. the people that are opting in for severance will be added to the targetted savings.

So does this all mean that the layoffs in November will be impacting those LEFT OVER who didn't take the phase 1 opt-in or would be included in phase 2? Are they still planning on doing that rumored round of layoffs?