Knowing I'm at risk of being laid off at any time not due to performance but solely because of my location has been very demoralizing for me personally.
26 replies (most recent on top)
This is just a continuation of the location strategy that was in place before Covid, but got interrupted by covid.
the overall mandate is to minimize fully remote workers now (except for ADA-related accommodations), and exit over time. Right now there isn't any plan to displace remote workers or give a 'move to a hub location or you're fired' command (like some areas did pre-covid)... but that could change, like anything else.
There is some discretion at OC+1 level, but it is being tracked closely at OC level and any exceptions have to be justified.
If you are fully remote bc you are more than 40 from an office - as described on this thread - your mobility to other areas of WF is virtually zero. If you are still in the "building" part of your career - you should start looking elsewhere - it's not going to be happening for you at WF.
Charles will be gone before the remote workers are. In the end, we will win. Viva la Resistance.
Right here. I live in a major Wells city and have interviewed for two rolls in which the teams were very excited about my profile (they’re unique rolls). But ultimately, I’m not in their hub so it went nowhere. I even have a remote exception. They don’t care if I work alongside them or not…but the rules say I have to be in a hub city.
Picked up and left after 17 yrs due to this cr@p show! Paid waaaaaayy better and fully remote.
When did Charlie say that? Is that recorded somewhere?
Charlie came right out and said that he expected the remote people to "drain away as time passes". Exact quote.
Drain Away. Like their people are sewage or something. Is that what they think of us? At one point every one of those remote people was deemed to be the best candidate for their jobs because they got hired in the first place!
WTF happened.....?
Same situation. I would never move to a big city. Been there, done that, learned my lesson.
One other person on my team - a seriously top level skilled person - was offered a position that included a huge raise, but the condition was that he had to move to San Francisco. He turned it down and told me that he wouldn't do that to his family, even for that amount of money. He left the company soon after and is now making just as much without having to live in an urban hellhole.
lol, there's no such thing as a city worth living in. Town maybe, or better yet 30 minutes from a town, but not a city. I've lived in three top 20 metros in three different states and all were horrible on the quality of life front. Human beings were not designed to be stacked on top of each other in paved-over urban hellholes. But I'm glad some of you guys like it, by all means stay there forever.
Here. Live in a metro area of ~500 plus tech workers, but we're not getting an official office here because real estate is too expensive, so in order to grow, I need to move to some red-neck, back woods ish show of a city. Sure glad we're spending all of that $$$ for the C-suite to have their hundreds of thousands of square feet in Hudson Yards
Same boat as well. Moved recently to a non hub area. WF doesn’t pay me enough to dictate where I want to live.
In the same situation. The two prior rounds of layoffs gutted my team and caused a few others to outright quit.
It has become critical to not fall into the martyr trap or take on anything new. I'm getting pinged like crazy because I am the default now. So I meter my workload closely, delay my response time (especially for things not critical) and make sure to give enough space to manage stress by blocking off time in the calendar.
If you are a long-timer, keep the opportunity of layoff/severance alive without sacrificing your health in any way. I can do it! You can do it! We can do it!
If you haven't been around long, my advice would be to skip waiting for layoff and the resulting limited severance pay period. Get out now and interview. In the meantime, WF is lucky you are still here filling a seat even if your effective output is 0%.
Don't want a promotion, so I don't care if the location strategy limits that, but I do care about WFH. FRTO and the NYC clown show pushing it.
Same boat here. On a medical accommodation. Moved to get the best care in the country. Can’t move anywhere internally or be promoted. Just trying to hang in there and do what I am supposed to get by. And saving every penny in the meantime!
In the same boat, it appears to be a large boat. Makes me ba-f every time I hear leadership talking about opportunities to grow within WF. Also, just checked job board today - 33% of jobs are outside of the United States. Collaborate away in the office!
I find myself in that situation but fortunately I'm paid at least reasonably well, and I have no desire to climb any career ladders within WFC or move. Just giving the bare minimum to get a meets and if I get laid-off at some point, oh-well. In technology for what it's worth.
Some business' hub locations continue to evolve; do NOT move to one to keep your job unless you are aware of and accept the risks of being orphaned.
Same story. Office closed and we were deemed 100% remote. You can't apply to anything unless you move. You can't even move in your personal life as I know someone who asked to move to a different state and was denied. I have no idea how that is even legal. Clearly they learned absolutely nothing from COVID. You can't fix stupid. It isn't hard to see why the company is tanking based on my observations of how they've handled and treated us. What incentive does someone in their 40's have to give more than the minimum when you tell them they have no option for career or personal growth/change?
I am in the exact same situation. Actively trying to get out of here ASAP.
Same situation. Accommodation but no career path. They talk about DEI but that only goes one way, doesn’t cover the disabled.
It depends on who you report up through. Kleber is enforcing the strategy. DF recognizes talented people aren't just located in hubs. Depending on your role, and skill set, it can therefore be next to impossible to move into a new role if you are not in a hub.
There was a similar thread yesterday. There are many of us in the same situation. We have been 100% remote. Don't live in a hub location. Unable to apply for a different position because they're not hiring outside of the hubs.
The situation sucks, but it could always be worse. Give it time, and things will change again. In the meantime, I'm just keeping my head down and getting my work done. Don't give them an excuse to give you the boot.
I've been told by manager that those people refusing to RTO are first in line to be let go and not those employees whose locations were closed. I am wondering if WF has any liability to employees whose physical office locations were closed while working remotely.
Same for me. 100% remote and trapped. Lucky for me I don't have too may more years to retirement otherwise it's time for a new company.
Same here. Can’t apply for anything
They might not lay you off. They say it's not a layoff strategy. They've made it clear though they won't hire in those locations and may not promote as well.
Unfortunately, that's their exact objective.