Thread regarding ConocoPhillips layoffs

The list of “10 Things” above in comments was very pleasurable to read. Having been an employee who did 16 years starting with P66 and then getting laid-off in 2016...I would have to say that everything they discussed is pretty much spot-on. I don’t regret working for them, at times it was an awesome company to work for and I have a lot of good memories. I “retired” at the age of 52 and am very comfortable financially. I consulted for a couple years, but I saved so much $ during my tenure with the company that I really don’t have to ever have an income again if I don’t want to work. Of course every employer has its pros and cons; poor HR management is not an attribute unique to COP. All considered, I found the “high-pot” program to be one of the most irritating aspects of the company; everything that people say about this program...its unfairness and nepotism, was true. Over the years I worked with a few colleagues who had been identified as high-pot, but it was sort of something that anyone who was a high-pot desperately tried to keep hidden because of embarrassment. Some of them were great people to work with and some were supreme pr*cks, but without exception they all had a huge entitlement chip on their shoulder. The worst HPs (and there were too many) were the ones who had been “tapped on the shoulder” because of their political leanings (rabidly conservative) or religious affiliation (rabidly evangelical). I worked with one colleague who “got tapped” when he took an assignment as HSE supervisor in the panhandle and buddied-up to an exec who was rabidly just plain weird...many of you who were/are around through the aughts will know of him...he was/is an extremely corrosive manager, one of the most arrogant people I’ve ever known. Anyhow I digress, this arrogant manager, because of politics and religion, tapped my colleague BW on the shoulder. BW started in HSE but has worked in several different disciplines as he climbed the ladder of nepotism, lying, and back-stabbing. Truly he is one of the most arrogant, corrosive, xenophobic, and misogynistic human beings I have crossed paths with throughout my entire career. He’s still there, last I heard in Alaska, racking-up the stock portfolio as he lies and manipulates his path through life.

Should be 35% of Alaska Office to be fair to all the other BUs that have been cut back previously.

Note: This is a cut and paste from Concho thelayoff.com from Oct 23 someone posted as a ConocoPhillips employee:

10 Things
As a ConocoPhillips’s employee I’ll offer you some insight into our new company. And don’t forget (because our managers and leaders won’t) WE are taking over YOU.
(1) For your career and annual ratings/rewards, it’s better to look good than be good. Impressive PowerPoint presentations, “introspective” brown nosing, yes-men succeed. Be careful what you say and how you say it: agreeing with management will get you ahead rather than speaking the truth.
(2) Finance and Exploration organization are the worst functions in the company (and that says a lot). These organizations are the most inbred incestuous factions (yes, I mean that word, not functional disciplines), and it will be difficult for an “outsider” to get ahead no matter how competent. In fact, competency will be seen as a threat. This will be especially true for the few survivors in exploration. After years of the repeated “this is finally the big one!” lie, over and over again, the exploration cuts this time will be deservedly medieval.
(3) Massive bureaucracy. Focus is not on production, reserves, value, earnings, or stockholders, instead it’s on feeding information upwards. If you want to succeed, get accurate mistake-free answers in pretty slides upwards quickly.
(3a) All information is comparison: this is what we have for budget submital #1, this is what we changed, this is what we made you change, this is our new budget/LRP, this is what was changed, this is final budget, here’s what it looks now that January actuals have come in and you can spot our lies, this is why we were not lying, here’s our new year forecast vs our budget and why it’s changed.... etc etc etc for 18 months then we start a new year. This entire bureaucracy is built to provide excuses on why we did not meet our budget. Regarding “annual” performance reviews, these are finalized in February and completed in September (because the systems and bureaucracy and review meetings are endless), so you only get reviewed at your “annual” review for 7 months of work. The annual bonus is paid at the end of February because it takes an entire two months to determine who has done what and how badly.
(4) We have the most arrogant narcissistic leadership in the industry. Consistent history of inconsistency (see “the dividend is sacrosanct” to “there will be no layoffs this year...”). They don’t listen/learn because they believe they already know everything. They absolutely LOVE talking SPIRIT values but they don’t walk the talk. Yes, when they leave the bathroom, they are actually 100% confident it smells better in there.
(5) Infrastructure asset-wise, everything is massively over-engineered, over-built to handle future expected exaggerated imaginary peak production. Same is true for drilling everything.
(6) We take massive pride in our HSE skills set, but in reality this is wasted time: more meetings and reporting, with indecipherable useless metrics no one in the company understands.
(7) The hyped metric in the company is “cost of supply” which, because of oil vs gas prices and differentials, there’s no consistency, so this is gamed by those in the know.
(8) Managing your career (we have talent teams!) receives a lot of attention and time, but in reality this is all smoke and mirrors. We have a secretive “High Potential” program that identifies “leaders” early in their careers (in practice, the folks who look best), and these are the ones who have their careers managed. Heads up: if you’re not receiving stock, you’re not on the list.
(9) Gird your loins for the worst supervisors/managers in the history of capitalism. Micro-managing control freaks, world-class jerks, insecure man-childs, and narcissistic pretty-boys, we have the worst of the worst.
(10) Because of the price collapse this year, ConocoPhillips’s was planning significant employee reductions. They always follow what everyone else is doing. But because of this acquisition, they decided to wait and then get this all done at the same time as they “right size” this new combined company. So expect significant reductions on both sides, with many managers getting their desired enhanced severance packages or alternatively taking care of themselves (if they are not ready to retire) and ruthlessly cutting anyone who has ever disagreed with them in the past. Been there done that.
Let the Hunger Games begin.
If you want to succeed, brown-nose and get a powerful rising mentor.
October 23 by Anonymous
13 replies (last 18d ago)
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Post ID: @OP+17ztQqGC

How many people are in L48? Isn't 35% of L48 plus most of Exploration close to 600 anyway? Maybe I'm just not good at maths.

I’d go so far as to say start clearing things from the office. If I don’t use it I’ve already taken it home. Have done this a bit at a time over the last month.

If you are let go pleez do not be one of these people who are in a permanent, years long wait for their next gig with a different oil company. Not saying don’t apply for jobs, but at some point you have to move on. Just don’t understand that mentality. Losing your job does not mean you’re worthless if you can’t find an exact replacement. If someone moves your cheese, go find some new cheese! Don’t sit and sulk the rest of your life.

THE most important part of any plan is to assume you'll be unemployed soon and to critically evaluate the financial aspects of your current lifestyle. As everyone knows, the job market for E&P professionals is abysmal, and you'll be competing with tens of thousands of other E&P professionals for those precious, few openings, Therefore, plan for a very long period of unemployment. If you land a new gig, great! But don't keep living like you have a steady paycheck and benefits hoping it will be a short-duration event. Hope is not a plan.

This advice is also true for those who choose to walk away from the E&P sector.

The cuts will be savage because our leadership is incompetent.

The cuts will follow a clear pattern. By and large, if your job overlaps a Concho employee’s, you’re history. If you’re in exploration, you’re gone. If you’re in technology and largely support exploration, get packing. And any support staff or personnel for these folks...adios. They’re pretty much building a new company here in Houston’s and I f you don’t think you’ve been interviewing for a job the past 12 months, you’re in for a shock. Good luck everyone! I’ve got my resume polished and am one foot out the door already. Time for us all to start planning for the worst.