Thread regarding AT&T layoffs

The author of this post is brain-dead and drinking the Kool-Aid! AT&T is not a software company and you cannot compare it to Google, Facebook, etc. The executives have ruined this company and are using pathetic excuses like telecommuting to take it out on the employees to save their a--!

I am a non-employee T investor. I come to this site for corporate insight. Anyone that starts a post with, "Don’t hate the players (Execs) …" is short-sighted and out of touch. It is the responsibility of the Execs to read and respond to market conditions over the long term and set an appropriate strategy for the company. The T Execs have neglected that duty and have been too arrogant to walk away from deals (and other brain-dead non-strategic projects) that were detrimental to T and it's investors and have simply s---ed the life out of the company. These layoffs are being done because of those bad deals in order to make Wall Street happy and maintain a "buy" rating, which may be granted but will not last. A major housecleaning is in order but it should start with Randy and the Board, not the people who actually make money for T. I rely on my stock holdings for a good portion of my income. I plan to call my broker today to sell my T assets before I lose additional money on a company infested with rats at the Exec level.

The OP i think has a valid point. Me and my neighbors have 4 equal options for broadband and all within $5 mo for equal service. I grew up in the wireless business, and we were always understaffed on purpose. We grew up and lived in the cut throat competitive world from the get go. Only after being taken back into the 1895 company realm we became overstaffed, with more process than anything. It's a 5 week six sigma project with multiple calls just to use the restroom. I grew up with boss told us the ultimate goal, with minimum amount of money and it was up to us to get it done. Execute, Execute,Execute or be executed. Always ask for forgiveness instead of permission. Oh and save 20% as you do it. We had groups of 5 doing jobs the telephone company had 20. AT&T should have started more culture change lessons from the old mobility folks, and trim in big numbers after the Bell South acquisition.

Read b---s--- Jobs by David Graeber for some insight into AT&T corporate culture..

Don't believe the primary forces driving ATT layoffs are competitive. If you look at its core businesses (wireless, pay TV, broadband, etc.) the number of providers customers have choose from is extremely limited (three or fewer mega corporations like ATT). These are not free markets, Instead the players act as collusive oligopolies. That is, the providers work together through the political process to create a regulatory environment in which they can charge obscene amounts for c-appy service and alternatives and competition is limited. The markets ATT operates in are just as regulated as ever except now the regulations are designed to serve the interests of a handful of corporate players instead of consumers. That's the world of ATT, Comcast, Verizon, etc.

ATT's layoffs are driven by a need to come up with ever greater amounts of cash to continue to increase the dividend and to show overall growth of the enterprise to Wall Street (to drive the stock price). This has lead to acquisitions to find new longer term sources of cash and a short term need to service the debt that resulted. ATT can't squeeze any more out of the customer base, so instead they're going after the cost of what it takes to provide services.

Don’t hate the players (Execs)... in T’s case, it does not help that a strategy in video and entertainment has been pursued by Execs which is largely unsuccessful. Paying 80 bil for an asset (DTV) that is now valued at 40 bil does not help. Ignoring demand for broadband Internet and ceding a lot of that market to cable companies does not help. Having to slow roll the Warner merger because of the FCC (Trump) case does not help. Giving an unfavorable break-up clause to a competitor (T-Mob), reinvigorating them in the industry does not help. Losing focus on items like 5G does not help. Have to wonder how many strikes some of these Execs get. Employees (and shareholders) pay the price.

ATT has been layong off in different parts of company for the last few years. Perhaps that’s not apparent or true in your section of Bedminister. ATO in oarticular had surplusses last year. I know employees and contractors who were surplused or let go in the last 2 years.

Typical blame-the-victim sh!tpost that pours salt on people's wounds - OP has no idea what everyone's jobs were or how busy it kept them, with a blanket opinion of AT&T workforce.

How's this for a blanket opinion - the OP's an a--.

AT&T "appreciates all that you do" - so much that you're out of a job.

I just responded a minute ago...i am contracting now 3/4 time. They just need to lower head count.

My district was told they had to lose 3 people and they chose 3 of us in the Equipment Engineer group. I also told my 2nd level if they were going to layoff anyone then pick me. The other 2 did not want to be laid off. I was swamped with work and was happy to go since I was retirement eligible. The same district is effected again and will know the end of January.

I know what you mean tbough...everyone was so busy and they still are. Hopefully they don't lose too many.

Hey plant engineer how and the hell were you laid off?? The Bay Area is a non stop workload currently. They got contractors doing it now?

These are apple to oranges comparisons. AT&T is very labor intensive and capital intensive. The others are software companies. I was an Outside Plant Engineer and Equipment engineer and there is a lot of work involved with trying to place plant...i.e. conduit, pole lines, fiber or copper cables and all else that is required to give service. Just getting the permits to do this work is takes many, many hours. The other companies just really sit at desks and don't build anywhere near as much infrastructure. I was let go last Sept and I was so happy. I was the Equipment Engineer for most of Silicon Valley and I was so swamped with work. I'm not sure how they come up with their choices for lays off but I was very relieved to go. In some places there just aren't enough people to do the work and all I had were V.P. escalations.

But there are places where people aren't busy at AT&T but in large areas I don't think that is the case. But software companies don't have anywhere near the infrastructure needs as AT&T or VZ. They waste a lot of man hours forcing people to watch those video's. I know I had to watch at least 5 hours a week for many years. Totally useless to me. But everyone in my office was so stressed that they just show up to work and do the best they can and then go home. It really isn't a way to live but what are those to do that are close to retirement. They just can't quit and lose a pension. Just my opinion.

Solid post. If this is going to be a part-time musings page, I’d prefer to read more like this.

GOOG, MSFT , AAPL, FB are all primarily software companies. The two most involved in hardware & direct sales (MSFT & AAPL) both have much larger staffs - that's no coincidence. I have no idea what 95% of AT&T employees do daily, but I know there's no shortage of work in ATO, yet the cuts keep coming - not based on business needs, but on making the quarterly numbers.

Our kids knowledge of science and math is low (all they know is how to play video games) and majority will be on d--gs. China is beating US in all technologies.