US-based employees who can do their work from home should plan to do so until further notice - starting Monday, March 16

Transcript

Hi,

I want to talk to you briefly about the Coronavirus pandemic and how we’re responding to it.

Make no mistake, we’re facing a public health crisis.

As a company, we’ve faced difficult situations many times over our storied history. Natural disasters, man-made disasters, economic crises … but nothing exactly like this one.

This is why we prepare. It’s times like this when our incredible team stands out. That’s why we always make it through … we always take care of our customers and each other … and we always come out the other side stronger than before. I’m confident we’ll see that happen again here.

So, with the Coronavirus, we asked ourselves – what should we be doing to help? Not just for our customers, but for all of our employees and the communities we serve. Are we doing everything we can as a company and as an employee body to combat this virus?

So, starting Monday and continuing until further notice, I’m asking that everybody who can get their job done from home … do so. I’m also asking you to please keep your families at home as much as possible.

I realize that many of you are directly serving and interacting with our customers and that work can’t be done from home.

And what you do is vital to a highly connected society like ours. And it is even more critical in times like these.

So we will be taking additional safeguards and implementing new procedures and policies to help protect you from the virus.

You will hear from your organization’s leadership later today on how the approach we’re taking affects you and your team. And we will continue to communicate with you as developments occur.

One of our core values is to Be There when people need us most … whether it’s our customers, our colleagues or our communities.

Now is one of those times for us to Be There. And we will.

For those of you on the frontlines serving customers and to our CNN colleagues reporting the news around the world … thank you.

You are heroes.

As other companies follow our example … I believe we can slow the spread of the virus … or at least minimize its impact… and begin the hard work of getting America back to full speed.

I’ll leave you with this. We cannot control what has already happened, but we do control how we respond from here.

I know this is an anxious time, but we’ll get through it together.

We always have.

Thank you. For taking care of our customers, taking care of each other, taking care of your families. And please, take care of yourselves.”

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20 replies (most recent on top)

As other companies follow our example. Wtf world is randy in does he think people follow what att is doing? Other companies probably wait to see what they are doing and do the complete opposite. What an elite in his head douche bag. My apologies to douche bags. Does he realize what a cesspool of a company he is heading.

What are we going to do now that all the golf and sports are cancelled? I know we get a lot of business because of the sponsorships, now nobody will even think of us.

Do we still have to pay for Lebron's new contract?

No company is following their $#it example.

This took way to long to be made official and for the CEO to address it. Other companies are far ahead on the planning and once again AT&T lags behind out of not caring for employees and putting revenue first. I started working from home full time 2 1/2 weeks ago and when I told my boss he said ok, be safe. I had to initiate it - I live in Seattle and this has been bad here!!!

Our org leadership couldn’t/wouldn’t make a decision until this email came out, even though all of us could have worked from home, even part-time, (way) before this - but they wouldn’t let us, unless it was mandated by the county/city. Our roles are not front-line, customer-facing. Meanwhile employees showing up to our building were dwindling by the day, due to community spread, but we still remained, as we’re supposedly “critical to the business” as they want us close to our internal clients, who mostly work from home anyway. Once we received this email, they still acted like they didn’t want us to work from home, acting as if we were going to use it as vacation time. So the truth came out finally came out why they don’t want us to ever telecommute, it’s not because of “collaboration”, it’s due to lack of trust and control. Micromanaging at it’s finest.

"As other companies follow our example...", should read “Once again our company followed Google’s example...like we did their open workspace example”, which I’m wondering who will ever sit in anymore since we know coronavirus can spread in less than 6 feet proximity!

No leadership in Illinois, just ignore it and it will go away. Business as usual just follow our guidelines that don’t address the actual problem. Still have employees reporting in mass to area garages across Illinois tomorrow and on through Monday since they decided to ignore everything going on. But hey at least there was toilet paper at the garage, oh wait, nope, still no toilet paper, no hand sanitizer, no paper towels, no disinfectant and garages still not getting cleaned. Definitely business as usual across the great state of Cook County Illinois

Randell, John and Jeffery. You guys are a scam and full of chit that fewer and fewer are buying. We know it, and you know it. We will conduct ourselves accordingly going forward.

Irish coffee Monday morning!!

They really are in a world of their own, our clownish "leadership". They think other companies follow their lead. Hell, they are even losing their control internally, let alone outside the company. And they didn't have to send an email, our building has been deserted for weeks before the email from Stephenson. People start not caring after so much mistreatment and disrespect. When you see good people let go just to make the numbers and keep up the charade it changes you. You realize that it isn't how good you are, you can just be in the wrong place. You become fatalistic and lose your fear. Of course you lost your respect for "leadership" long ago but now you don't even fear them. Now they have no control.

I like how they give the usual company line for any further questions, "Ask your leadership." Cool. My manager is ignoring all this from the safety of his house and telling us BAU. The company is putting on a great face, look how safe we're being and how much we care, but no protocol for enforcing any of it. Typical.

"As other companies follow our example..."

Wake up from your wet dream Randall. This company does not lead, it follows. Just as T's management are not allowed to think and act for themselves but as well programmed robots. Just as our employees are not allowed to think beyond corporate groupthink to be creative or innovative, but instead we outsource anything requiring creativity or acquire innovative organizations and then destroy their creativity with T's stifling by the book micromanagement.

Anyone that works here knows you don't give a damm about your employees, only the company's PR. That and screwing over your employees and customers relentlessly to cut costs and increase revenue.

I refuse to leave my collaboration zone - I was told it was too important to the company.

@lvh+13XIS0AQ ...no kidding...."as other companies follow our example"

Classic, day late and dollar short leadership.

i second the humorous post that our manager said work from home, which we have been doing since they quit sending out monthly reports of how often you are in. No one has come in from my area in 6 months or more. That going in lasted about 6 months for us.

Funny, our manager told us to wfh, he has no idea we've all been doing it for months.

Don't for a second they are doing this for any reason except the bad PR they'd get otherwise.
And see what happens to any techs who call in sick with the virus.
I call BS.

this must have been real difficult for this donkey to get behind. they dont trust the employees. must we tap our badges on the door everyday to register stiil

Thank you Randall for this. While some managers have exercised common sense and good judgement during this recent crisis, many supervisors need the explicit guidance on how to handle this. Thank you

"as other companies follow our example"
Foh. Amazon Google Verizon Jp Morgan all made the move before att did.
OK randy

Thread regarding AT&T layoffs

US-based employees who can do their work from home should plan to do so until further notice - starting Monday, March 16

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