Thread regarding AT&T layoffs

I feel for everyone that’s impacted by the SSR surplus. I’ve experienced the same thing last year as an assistant store manager. I know this journey or path might seem dark. It could feel daunting. Transition to RSC? IHX? External company? And a decision has to be made quick.

As a former SSR that transitioned to an RSC, I can honestly say that the position will challenge you, but in a healthy career progression kind of way. It is rewarding to succeed in a role that you may have thought otherwise.

Our own thoughts can hinder ur ability to believe in our talents.

For those that are uninterested in sales, use this time to apply to other companies. You would be surprised how many companies value AT&T employees. I cannot count how many times companies have recruited me via LinkedIn.

In all, take this time to truly discover your passion and continue to sell yourself no matter if it’s internally or externally.

You got this my SSR crew.

They took that SSR poster down at the training center.

This is all such bs, management has stressed so many out to a point where they just find a way out and again stores are left without good people and still get told they’re not good enough in numbers. I understand a company needs to make money to continue but I thought att would of been different and put its employees truely hard working ones and customers first as a company should. Instead we bully everyone we can into leaving, hold no one accountable for any of their own actions, have poor communication and layoff good people that could of made this company better!

What is important about all this is that 8/1 was also IHXs 1st birthday...Yeah, they spent nearly $100,000 celebrating it...with balloons and food. Don't take the severance unless you have at least 15 years...it is not worth it...If you have another job outside the company prior to the 20th then take the severance...you win win. If not just click accept and ride the train for 3 to 6 months.

There is no difference in pay if you choose to take the early exit or stay until October. The email did say you can’t change your mind if you say no to the RSC offer. So you can’t decline it then a couple days later say hey I want to stay and be a rep.

This is directed to the dork who stated to calm down, ssrs are not needed....great u run a store, I bet it’s shady, dirty and u probably do fraudulent activity. I doubt you are performing to standards. So go s--- an egg and get a life. Always some id--t nearby.

@Uo6xdjX-3lwa

Is there a difference in pay if you choose September date over October date?

Hey everyone.

I’m an SSR in Illinois and my manager just talked to me about the elimination of the position. It is nationwide. I seen the email. You do have the option of going to RSC and a decision must be made by August 17th. I was also informed you can choose an early exit of September 30th or wait until the final day of October 30th in your current role.

It's happening at approx 2:00pm est a email will be sent out to inform the company of the change.

Some of you are so ruthless and rude! What if it was you losing your job!? Karma will come if you think you’re safe because I’ve been with the company a long time and you just like me are just a number they only care about their bottom dollar your day may be coming too. So be careful what you say.

Some of you are so ruthless and rude! What if it was you losing your job!? Karma will come if you think you’re safe because I’ve been with the company a long time and you just like me are just a number they only care about their bottom dollar your day may be coming too. So be careful what you say.

Our manager at our call center is telling us not to worry about our numbers (jwhat?) and he said that AT&T is asking bilingual managers to go to Mexico for a while. The writing's on the wall, they must be closing our centere.

Good luck today everyone. Please note that unlike some here, there are others who are wishing you the best in what happens today. Have hope!

@Uo6xdjX-3rfw

Be calm and patient. Everything will be explained 8/1

The company will move on. Managers done need SSRs

I started as an SSR and run a store now. They aren’t needed at this time

What’s time should we be expecting the email. The manager is not even there to take a call, be on a call with me, I mean I really feel like I am being hung out the dry.

Are you guys SURE this is national? From where we sit it doesn’t feel that way.

I feel for all the SSRs who are affected by this. I was hit by a surplus in another potition so I know how it feels. You can't believe the company believes things can operate effectively without you just as I did. Knowing what I know I still think they made a mistake in my position, but regardless they are going to give it a go. They can always change their minds an create the position again, but for you it will be too late.

I managed stores for 2 years during my tenure without an SSR and went to Summit one of those years. I don't say that to brag at all because I know many things must come into place to make it to Summit as a manager. My point only is it can be done even though it was a grueling year of work. I would also put my knowledge on operations and back office up against anyone and think I'd come out ok. You are correct that most managers today have no clue about those things, but the company is saying it's time for them to figure it out.

So depending on your financial and job prospects I would encourage you to try the RSC (sales) position. Look at the severence amount, figure out how long it will last and make a judgement. Don't fear sales. If you are already interacting with customers, this level of sales is no different. It's just that you are talking about things, and asking if they want them today. You are probably doing 90% of sales when you interact with customers before RSCs are available to come in and finish it off and make the money.

If you are a female, even better. I'm not a s-xist but let's be honest. Guys are dumb and will buy from females. We can't help it. I only say this because most SSRs I've worked with have been female, and I've seen them transition into sales and do very well despite their initial reservations. They realized it isn't as big a leap as it seemed, and most found they are quite good at it.

If you are a male SSR, the same rules apply, except women buyers are less susceptible to our charms. But you are most likely doing 90% of sales already. It really is less intimidating than it seems. It's mostly talking to people like you do on a daily basis. Again the line between interacting with customers before an RSC takes over isn't much different than the rest of the interaction.

For the rest who really cannot stomach sales, use your time left wisely. Reach out to friends and plan accordingly. Read the document they send you and understand the timing and what you get with the options they provide. Send out your resume immediately regardless. You may get an offer for a job you never would have looked for otherwise. Also consider how long it takes for companies, especially large ones, to process applications. My interview request email came 2 weeks after accepting another internal position which was 6 weeks after applying.

Just don't waste time, figure out how long the severence would last, and make the most of your 60 days (assuming that's what it is) in charting out your future.

I sincerely wish the best of luck to you all. I appreciate all the work SSRs have done for me over the years.

“then UPS walks in with 9 big boxes to be received”

Lol. Try 40+ in a level 3 store. Every day.

You are given codes to other stores because that sales job that you will be offered may not be in your current location.

Hater (or a manager) in the house. Yes in 2006 there was no SsRs, but these managers now were not from those days and have only been trained to do 5 observations a day, to take conference calls, and to delegate all tasks. Most of these managers are 25 year olds looking to get promoted to ARSM and don’t care about back office because they have depended on SSRs for everything. All they care about is sales and observations. Which is fine, because that’s their job and what gets them promoted. Most of them have no idea about back office because they have had SSRs to depend on.

Think of it this way. 1 day without an SSR.

There Is only one manager working that day, they are short handed because no stores are hiring because all of the reps have left to IHX, they have a conference call, then a customer escalation happening, a rep needs change for a customer, only managers have access to the safe, then UPS walks in with 9 big boxes to be received, and on top of that there is a reset, and we are starting to enter the holidays.

When days like this happen and they happen all the time. The manager comes running to me “oh my god I’m so glad your here!” So this tells me that they can’t do it.

All you id--ts that are saying management doesn’t know what they’re doing... just know the SSR position is fairly new compared to how long our stores have been open. We went for years without SSR’s up until about 2006-2007 and things were fine. Get off your high horse, the job will be done without you.

If you all hate the company so much, why don’t you leave?!

Does anyone know for sure if the position is getting eliminated completely or downsized? Because I heard before that they would not eliminate, but have 1 sSR working multiple stores. The reason I’m asking is because today I received an email from Cinglepoint giving me dealer codes to another store location which is an hour and half away from where I live. What would be the point of giving me a new location to work at if the position is getting completely eliminated? Anybody have any ideas?

I do admit that our job over the years have gotten simplified and there is not that much work load like there was years ago. So they don’t really need a full time sSR in one store. My thought is that the managers will not be able to do all of the work and that they will need an SSR. ( Imagine managers during iPhone launch and Christmas with no SSR-LMAO) One sSR for multiple stores to me makes sense, eliminating the position completely doesn’t. Unless they plan on hiring more ASms, but they just got rid of a bunch of them last year. I laugh thinking about my manager doing our job, especially the reset. My managers don’t even know how to access iPog, file an issue, order bags, or supplies for the store, etc, etc....

Who knows we will all find out tomorrow supposedly.

Good luck to everyone

If this is true, it’s most unfortunate. I was an SSR and was employed by AT&T for many years, but left the company one year ago for a better opportunity. I greatly enjoyed being an SSR. As I always said, best job in retail!

If true this will place an even larger load on managers within the store. This will make their jobs even more stressful. There are a lot of little things that SSR’s do that some mid to upper level management just don’t realize. Conversely, IVR had managers tell me at the store level, “I don’t know where we’d be without SSR’s”, or “I really rely on my SSR’s”.

Unless a store has an outstanding management team that’s skilled enough to juggle both sales and operations, I don’t think (as a former employee, not current) that this is a good idea at all. A poor cost savings idea!

I understand the need to keep costs down and the responsibility to shareholders, but I really believe management will sorely miss the SSR’s if this info is true. The stores will not run as efficiently.

BTW, my entire family has AT&T products. I have good friends who will be impacted by this. I’ll have to rethink if I want to continue with AT&T’s products and services moving forward.

I too am curious about the pay. Any other time an SSR moved to RSC they are given a raise. I would hope this would still be the case

This is the district 3 black contract

ARTICLE 14 FORCE ADJUSTMENT

Section 1. In the event that the Company determines that a surplus exists and a decrease in the work force becomes necessary, the Company will first advise the Union in writing prior to notifying the affected employee(s). The affected employee(s) will be notified not less than thirty (30) calendar days prior to the date the employee(s) is to be laid off. In matters involving the surplus of fifty (50) or more employees at a single location, the Company will provide the employees sixty (60) days advance notice of the surplus.

Section 2. Under the circumstances set forth in Section 1., the Company will offer regular employees the opportunity to voluntarily resign and receive a severance payment as provided for in Section 5. If applied, this will be offered in seniority order, up to the number necessary to alleviate the surplus.

Section 3. Under the circumstances set forth in Section 1. and after the application of Section 2., regular employees will be given preference, in accordance with their seniority, subject to their skills and experience, to perform the remaining work in the event of a reduction in force. Temporary employees will be laid off under these circumstances before applying this seniority policy to regular employees.

Section4. If a surplus remains after application of Section 3. preceding, any remaining active surplus regular employees will be given priority placement for laterals and downgrades for which they are qualified, by order of seniority, to fill any available job vacancies within the Bargaining Unit. For the purpose of this Section if there are no equal level or lower level vacancies for which the employee is qualified within thirty-five (35) miles of the surplus location, the surplused employee can decide to resign and receive a severance payment under Section 5 of this Article. In cases where the work is moved more than seventy-five (75) miles, the Company may offer a relocation incentive.

• Downgrades: Movement to a wage scale that has a lower top rate than the current position.

• Laterals: Movement to a wage scale with the same top rate as the current position.

Section 5. Severance Payments. If the Company determines that a surplus exists as described in Section 1. preceding, resulting in the layoff of a regular employee, that employee shall be eligible for a $700 Severance Payment or payment equivalent to one week’s wages (whichever is greater) for each completed 6 months of Continuous Service during the first year of employment and an additional $700 or payment equivalent to one week’s wages (whichever is greater) for each subsequent completed year of Continuous Service, up to a maximum of $18,000.

Section 6. For purposes of this Article, “Continuous Service” means the number of completed years served by the employee with the Company beginning with the date of the employee’s most recent engagement (or reengagement) and ending with the effective date of the employee’s termination. A period of Continuous Service is not broken by a leave of absence. For employees who were on the payroll or on an authorized leave of absence as of February 1, 2001, and who remain in the continuous active service of the Company, their Net Credited Service in whole years (as determined by the Administrative Committee) upon the effective date of their termination shall be considered their period of Continuous Service with regard to the application of the provisions of this Article.

Section 7. A former surplus employee who has been laid off and who files an application for employment will be given priority consideration over off-street applicants for vacancies for which he/she qualifies for a period of two (2) years from the date of layoff. The Company will maintain a process that identifies laid off employees who have employment applications on file for the period required.

This really does sting! I have worked in 4 different COR stores and most of the managers are clueless about back office. Some think we just sit there and bring in inventory and shuffle a little paperwork. Ha! We are a wealth of knowledge that is truly under appreciated. Boy are they all in for a huge surprise!

Does anyone know for sure if the position is getting eliminated completely or downsized? Because I heard before that they would not eliminate, but have 1 sSR working multiple stores. The reason I’m asking is because today I received an email from Cinglepoint giving me dealer codes to another store location which is an hour and half away from where I live. What would be the point of giving me a new location to work at if the position is getting completely eliminated? Anybody have any ideas?

I do admit that our job over the years have gotten simplified and there is not that much work load like there was years ago. So they don’t really need a full time sSR in one store. My thought is that the managers will not be able to do all of the work and that they will need an SSR. ( Imagine managers during iPhone launch and Christmas with no SSR-LMAO) One sSR for multiple stores to me makes sense, eliminating the position completely doesn’t. Unless they plan on hiring more ASms, but they just got rid of a bunch of them last year. I laugh thinking about my manager doing our job, especially the reset. My managers don’t even know how to access iPog, file an issue, order bags, or supplies for the store, etc, etc....

Who knows we will all find out tomorrow supposedly.

Good luck to everyone

It is unfortunately true. The “official” call for SSR’s will be tomorrow morning. The pay should stay in the same tier if SSR’s move to RSC. The higher ups in the company have no idea what all we actually do for the company or how many of us stood up to step in after the ASM Surplus. I wish the best of luck to everyone.

Will a SSR that takes the RSC position make more or less money doing so?

I will be antsy until I get the email. There will be no managers here tomorrow to tell me anything-

No one talking today.

I keep thinking well it’s just going to be you guys & our part of the world is going to be spared.

I’ll believe it when I see it, in the meantime I just wait & worry.

I am still in shock about the news. My ASM informed me yesterday when I got back from lunch. I am not cut out to be an RSC and I am not in my 20's or 30's. So finding another comparable job is not likely. I am very upset. But of course the company could care less about us. I was working in 2 stores plus they had a few of the SSR's helping to set up a new store. I feel used and underappreciated. All the hard work and then a layoff.

This really bites. I love my job and the folks at my store. But guess I have no choice in the matter. This has happened to SSRs every time a merger happens. Are Time Warner folks being laid off as well?

Glad I never paid a penny to union their do full of s*it oh you’re job is protected BS. unfortunately nobody is protected in this company you are just another number to them. I’ve been with the company 7 plus years and I’m DONE treat us like garbage whose next!? Good luck passing audits and having your RSM doing back office when they want you to sell everything under the sun GOOD LUCK!

MICA

Merchandise Inventory Cash Auditing

COR

Corporate owned retail

Standard contracted severance.

So two weeks pay for the first year of service and one weeks pay per year of service after that.

So for example if you've been with the company 7 years, youll get a total of 8 weeks of pay.

What will severance be any one have details or is it standard per union book

The layoff was confirmed by our union president yesterday. The job protection clause kicks in because they have to offer us an RSC position. Better than telling us to totally get f--ked, I guess.

There aren’t many openings, but if you loved your SSR position look for a local req for Integrated Sales Support Specialist or Sales Support Lead. It’s part of the In-Home Expert division and it’s a great move if you can get it. I feel for all of you.

I say this sincerely don’t ever expect management to tell u anything. They do as they are told and the ones that do give you a heads up have some kind of sympathy. I was a fin rep affected during the last surplus and pretty much we got called in the office that morning at 8:30 after they had informed management 30 mins prior so no they don’t have to give you a week notice. I hope the best for everyone and those affected get placed or find better jobs. We do so much for this company but never get recognized. Hopefully our next position will be a different story.

They pulled SSR positions in January. The few that you see are people moving to another store. They have to create a requesition for you to even relocate. Stupid. They also haven’t back-filled open spots for almost 2 years now. The timing is just because they got headcount down to a comfortable level. They know who will stay & who they will be cutting a severance check.

And Yes Thank You guys for the heads up. Yeah a lot of posts on here are bull, but this is how I found out about the ASM & RAE surplus almost 2 years ago, and I was told then we were next- so I kept checking! And kept checking :)

It is official, I’m an SSR in the north east and over heard the call yesterday. We will be given official notice of this tomorrow at some point. Any managers that are saying it wasn’t talked about are doing as they had been instructed on the call. In my area, most asms and rsms gave us a heads up.