Since I turned 50, I realized how precarious my position is here. Knowing that my days are most likely numbered has been strangely liberating, though. I no longer fear being let go. I'm in a new state of mind where I accept that if I have to go, walking away with a nice chunk of change in my pocket is not such a bad thing.
16 replies (most recent on top)
I like this OP
Morale is super low and have been doing the bare minimum since the March 2023 RA, but survived the 2024 actions so far. The way the RTO mandates have been dropping, I assume my number will be up soon.
Depending on what country you are in, the severance payments can be nominal. For example in the US, in the past 5 years, severance payments for non-execs have varied between 1 - 3 months. So it is something, but not a huge chunk.
“ Almost 50. Have no mortgage and a good size nest egg put away. ”
I am jealous and want to know how you guys did it. Did you get in early? Wha roles ? So you have kids?
@cpx+1sjbGe8D IBM management is, without a doubt, responsible for the workplace you all have today. The problem (for you) is that you're past the point of assigning blame for the situation, but you're at the point where you need to save yourself from the emotional and physical damage of a toxic work environment.
You're not a slave, no matter how much IBM may think of you as one. You have agency, and presumably you're a decent (maybe even great) employee. It's better for your resume, your mind and your body if you can stand up and say "IBM's work environment is too toxic for me, and I just can't stand it anymore". So IBM and you have no mutual respect. There is none to be had. But you can find another employer who does.
You get a day's pay for a day's work. You owe nothing more, but also nothing less. This is obviously an old-fashioned sentiment, but that's how a fair and equitable society gets built. Management may be out to sc--w the employees, but if employees respond in kind by sticking around and quiet-quitting then my original point stands...they are, morally speaking, not much better than the managers. They end up deserving each other.
Same here. Almost 50. Have no mortgage and a good size nest egg put away. Worrying about an RA is no longer in the cards.
@imy+1sjbGe8D It's pretty easy to be critical and your point is not really wrong. But there are a couple of points.
The first is that no matter how hard I work, and how much I put up with, there never will be mutual respect. In this case, that is completely on the employer. The employer might not always show abject disrespect but you can be sure that you will be treated with indifference no matter how much you try to make them love you.
The second is that the crummy work environment has been getting progressively more so. Once again, this is on the employer. Remember when we had "stacked rankings?" Every year, we would lose a few team members and then, later in the year, have some sort of team event. How do have a great team event when everyone is eyeing everyone else to see who can get a worse rating and be a personal RA buffer. And those were better days than these days. These days, RT demands RTO and 8 new products per year no matter how poor the quality or artificial the offering. Watson anything, anyone?
So, yes, people should probably do more like you suggest. But, at the same time, the employer is bringing this behavior on themselves.
I have an older friend who climbed pretty high at their company. I was talking about the IBM situation with them and they have suggested the same thing others are saying here. Look busy but do as little as possible. Think like a typical IBM VP. Most of them are useless. As for AK, RT and their little regime at the top , they’ve shown us time and again that they don’t care about us at all. They’ve shown contempt for their employees on calls. Collect your paycheck, update your resume, and always be looking for another job. In the meantime, look busy, do little.
If you're just doing the minimum each day, then morally speaking you're not much better than IBM's management. Find another job where there is mutual respect between employee and employer, and grab it as soon as you can.
I get it...IBM is a lousy employer. But a bunch of people quiet-quitting just for a paycheck will not change the situation, and only makes for a crummy work environment. You're better off just quitting for real and finding a job that you can enjoy. Do it as soon as your finances and risk tolerances will allow.
Pick Me!! Pick Me!!!!
This place is ki-ling my spirit. I hope I'm on the next list.
For just over 12yrs I showed up, did the bare minimum to hit targets, 7a-4p with 1-2hr lunches, no stress. IBM was offering pretty much a pittance/zilch for severance in the case of an RA, so I just left on my own in '15 because SWG had become a toxic sh*tshow and pretty much destroyed everything that made our team successful.
Looking back, I was a "Quiet Quitter" before it was a 'thing'.
I'm in the same boat. I was almost RAed a few years back, but somehow got onto another contract. Since then I do as little as possible thinking that I'm sure to get RAed soon. But, ever since I've had this mindset, the RA specter has skipped over me every time. It's like IBM won't RA you if you want to be RAed.
At this point all I try to do is the bare minimum each day. It's incredible how much the IBM culture and team morale has cratered in the past year or so.
I’m also looking forward to “walking away with a nice chunk of change”, but Mr. R A skipped me year after year. I’m not willing to walk away with nothing, at least not until I’m 65.
Yes, same for me. It has been a while now that I no longer care or worry getting laid off. I know it is coming, it is the way of life at IBM. I have cut down my work dramatically, and I no longer feel bad when I do nothing for this company.