Thread regarding Charles Schwab Corp. layoffs

Just quiet quit. Chances are your boss is stupid so do bare minimum. I clock in at 9:15 and out right at 5 and use “traffic backup” as an excuse at least twice a week. I’m a key person dependency so I’m pretty safe. I do a LOT of freelance development on the side. Thankfully Schwab security doesn’t block the dev sites I use. Milk this as much as you can.

There’s a d-mb 18.x% allotted to each officer, not to exceed, no guidance on approvals, pick who you like best program that allows you to work from home full time except for some meetings unless you live too far away and there’s an eclipse of Pluto. You have to renew every six months. And it is likely going away.

Best WFH is to get a medical exception or religious one. Seriously. Doc signs off or religious organization has a remote program of study and you get an exception.

Is culture any better here? I only eat blueberry yogurt so I’m not sure.

What WFH program????

After the announcement of wfh program for H2 2024, my manager told me not to apply, citing my past performance. I don’t feel the same way that my performance was declining but I wonder if this is the direction from leadership and they just want you to quit naturally. Is it even legal to prevent an employee from applying to wfh program?

Rick needs people to quit don’t you get it???

I’m not the prior comment, but it was “just want everyone to quit” meaning the EC wants people to self-terminate so they don’t have to pay severance. I wasn’t the commenters view. And they are correct. There is a strong desire to reduce headcount without another big layoff. That’s been made quite clear.

There was no denigration in the other comments either. One clearly said each had to make their decision.

But it should be clear to all that, if RTO is the demand and people are still being placed on warnings for trivial things far beyond the historic norm, everyone should be considering an exit and deciding what company they want to be in. You’ve made your choice. Respect. But be eyes wide open about how that sets you up for the future.

"Folks have to make up their own minds. Certainly you show you’re a rule following minion who will put up with nonsense by religiously going in."

Sorry, no, I have a family to support and it would be nonsense to threaten the livelihood of my family because I don't want to go into the office 3x per week. I do not like RTO - I am 100% more productive working remote plus the cost savings, etc. Unless you're in tech, there is not a plethora of remote opportunities elsewhere - they are all requiring in-office at some level. Stating "I just want everyone to quit" as well to satisfy some revenge is also childish. Again, folks have families and at least I have a manager who is pretty flexible. That doesn't make me a "minion" - it makes me an adult with responsibilities and doing what I can do to support them. Will I continue to urge for more flexibility regarding in-office vs. remote? Of course, and I am upfront with my opinions and honestly complete the surveys (for what it's worth). But I'm not going to sacrifice the well-being of my family to prove some point. If you don't have a family and can't even find your badge - awesome, your choice. But stop the denigration of folks who are just trying to do the best they can under the circumstances.

I am a rule following minion and won't apologize for that. I need this job. I have a family that entirely relies on my salary. The job market is hard out there right now, probably for the last year or so. Do I prefer being full-time telecommute? Of course. But I am grateful to have a job that pays well, and don't want to put that in danger just to be a renegade.

It is difficult out there getting a new job. This applies to both experienced and the less experienced.

Just want people to quit. That's the plan. Find a new job and leave that sh*thole if you can. Scwab is a toxic wasteland.

The "Don’t be a renegade" and "My team and org complies 100%" posts and similar posts have valid points but may be missing a piece. In our org, leadership has been clear they aren't feeling RTO and they are going to be as flexible as possible until someone forces the point. That is their guidance to PLs as well: it is your team, your department, you know what is best for your people. Trust me, we are incredibly flexible.

That said, other teams comply "100%." That is an approach of a few teams/orgs. If your team is in compliance like that, your team is an extreme outlier. If you think not being in compliance is being a renegade, you may be in a team or org that is an outlier.

Most PLs are leveraging their skills and professional maturity to make decisions based on their team's needs, desires, and wants. They are picking their battles. That is a smart, adult, professional way to run things.

I'm a PL and I have some real superstars on my team. There is NO WAY that I'm going to say a word to them about their RTO compliance if they are crushing it. I can't even imagine that conversation... "Hey, you are really ki-ling it. By the way, I'm going to need to give you a formal warning for exceeding expectations but not coming into the office last Wednesday, which was a RTO day." Trust me, that conversation isn't going to happen in my team.

So to those who made the observation that it depends on orgs/teams, you are correct. My team is enterprise-wide and we work with almost every business unit (AS and IS) and RTO compliance is all over the place, as is how management approaches non-compliance.

Don’t be a renegade, it won’t turn out well.

I think you misunderstand. Some have decided RTO is the last straw. Since it is quit immediately or just don’t go in and risk being fired, they’ve decided the extra weeks, months or years are better. And they are right.

If you’re on my team and you don’t RTO as you’re supposed to I can’t protect you. Leadership has all the reporting and you will be fired on the spot when the time comes. Those that comply have jobs. Don’t be a renegade, it won’t turn out well.

My team and org complies 100%. They are not sheep, but simply follow the rules. I understand you can take sick days, PTO, or maybe occasional ask for an exception to work from home due to some unfortunate situation, or recently we have experienced severe weather where it is unsafe to commute. I can't understand how some just choose not to come in, and think it is ok.

10% is a lot. It’s more than those let go on 1030.

I’ve been on video calls with peers where no one was in the background. Twenty plus seats and not a soul. Mid-day. Colorado, Austin, Dallas and Phoenix offices.

The data would be fun to see, but, as with everything else, quality data reporting stupid policy doesn’t make policy better.

So many people here act like they are not going in to the office. I've seen the stats, at most maybe 10% aren't complying.

Folks have to make up their own minds. Certainly you show you’re a rule following minion who will put up with nonsense by religiously going in.

But to what end?

Smaller raises, smaller bonuses, no managerial incentive to retain you, no loyalty in the next layoff, an extra hour or more three (likely soon five) days a week out of your life. All to spend time with people who are also glued to a Teams meeting or trying to work in a noisy bullpen.

The only upside is less stress about one of a million reasons to worry about your job. They won’t possibly get rid of you for not going in. The downside is a guaranteed loss of $1,000 a year in just gas based on 35 miles round trip and $4 a gallon. With car wear that’s likely $3,000. And then your time. Extra child care. On and on. It’s a tax. And all you get out of it is appeasing an executive who isn’t in the office himself, polluting your city and stressing yourself out as your bank balance shrinks.

Brilliant.

We proved the jobs could be remote for years. Made the WC (typo, but I’m keeping it) millions in bonuses. Why are some willing to cower and be miserable? Aren’t companies seeking smart employees?

Manager shared the data with me looks like they are tracking the badge swipes. When asked in a meeting about RTO my director who is fully remote though there's a office near her said it is too early to determine the outcome of RTO and they want us in the office. But leadership wants to be remote. What a bunch of privileged pricks!

Some weeks I have gone all 3 days. Other times I have been sick, my kids have been sick, Dr's Appt, Car Issues etc. If they fire me I'll move all my money over to Fidelity and Vanguard and move on with my life... Simple... Why is everyone here so scared ?!

So you’re here bragging? Reports are in their early stages and being improved, don’t worry, they’ll show you the door soon.

That's a fact, it has not been applied equally. I see people come into the office partial days kinda on those days often, seem to be more interdependent on your TITLE and Org, with many offering lots of freedom. Better get your ducks in a row Schwab before you unleash.

And that's fine, but the process is to warn and cover their tracks. That includes showing that they applied policy equally. They haven't thus far. Even in at-will states it helps to be dealing with a conservative HR department.

They are counting you badge swipes. They also have people that monitor select floors in different areas. They won’t reach out to you know to provide any warnings. One day, you will be terminated with cause for not following corporate rules. If that is what you want, then great.

Not me. And I haven’t gone in at all.

It seems clear from those who are in the office that many aren’t complying. I’m sure the EC is still counting their bonus money and hasn’t gotten back to Catbert HR practices.