Don’t bury your head in the sand or divert your attention from the current situation at AT&T. These layoffs are real and insidious, as ATT continues to spread FUD and threatens employees with layoffs while demanding you work harder and longer without due compensation. I have worked for several large corporations and unequivocally say that ATT is the worst run company I have ever witnessed. I came from a company that handed ATT a viable service and in the last few years, ATT totally decimated the service and ticked off customers because of incredibly poor execution. So hard to believe they could muck it up so bad through poor decisions, total lack of teamwork and collaboration between orgs, technical incompetence, and political infighting. In the last org I worked, every employee let go was replaced by an offshore worker. I constantly heard how we had to reduce expenses because we were over budget and hiring folks in low cost countries cost the company a fraction of the US worker’s salary. No one in my management cared about quality or supporting the US economy, yet they whipped folks into working harder. They do this so employees won’t see what’s going on around them until it’s too late and they receive their notice. How’s that for loyalty to the folks who made the company a fortune? What makes it all worse is that I have seen such a high level of arrogance among managers who clearly violate the rules and COBC everyday, but are never addressed or held accountable for their actions even after being exposed. They are the ones who should be laid off with NOTHING for years of ripping off the company. And, as usual, ATT lays off the ones who typically are good performers but not political. It would be great to see ATT cut into the dead wood for a change but that will likely never happen. Get out before they force you out because it is inevitable. Don’t be fooled by ATT rhetoric and BS. The handwriting is on the wall.
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I just saw the company lay off a guy who worked 80 hours every week for five years. If they can lay him off no one is safe. He was an “always exceeds” rating. He was not in a CZ so game over. Complete b---s---.
Tell me about it......Got home from the office approximately 1hour ago so put in 14 hours with a one hour commute...Stuck on calls with Developers in India which took hours to try and explain the crux of an issue...Since we now have to be in the office daily to work with Development partners in India who are half asleep due to the time difference.....Only to wait with baited breath until tomorrow when we will receive the news if we made the list to be laid off......I must be nuts.....
I absolutely agree that director level and above is head and shoulders the worst in this company and those with exceedingly bad behavior do not ever seem to be punished for their misdeeds. I struggle to understand why these good old boys are protected, as they pose liability issues and have zero value to the company. To be successful, ATT needs to clean house and get rid of the good old boy network that has dragged this company down the tubes. If we can see this, why can’t the guys at the top making the big bucks see it and take the necessary action? The execs like to spew their happy
horses—t but we can all see through it. As far as performance goes, ATT does not know how to recognize, challenge, support, or reward top performers. It’s a very narrow focus that (from my experience) is rooted in politics. I have seen great employees let go while the worst of the worst continue their gainful employment. In my mind, this is a going out of business strategy that has to eventually catch up especially after all the good employees are gone, either involuntarily or through their own initiative because they are tired of having their necks in the guillotine. It’s sad that ATT drives the good ones away.
@iit I absolutely agree. Much of the decline here at T has happened in the last few years. Granted, the decline truly began when SBC bought out AT&T and polluted a once great company with their cowboy culture b---s---- yes I am one of the old schoolers who blames the demise of this company on the “Texas Boys”. But things have really gotten worse in the past 5-6 years. That’s when we stared fo see more of these work “hubs,” collaboration b---s---, forced relos, massive outsourcing and offshoring and larger layoffs.
I've had terrible luck with employers. 22 years with T this spring and constant stress of layoffs. Last employer was even worse. Last Friday of the month like clockwork, HR rep walks around and tells a handful to pack their sh-- and get out. The next Monday in walk new hire college grads with high hopes of kicking off a successful career. Most lasted less than a year.
I haven’t been here as long as many, only about 7 years. In that time, ive seen this place change dramatically. It went from being challenging at times, with leaders that care about the team to absolutely ridiculous with the worst leaders I’ve ever seen. That’s saying something folks! I’ve worked in some real sweatshops of places before.
Surplused or not, I’m out of here on the first thing smoking. BTW, I’ve received 2 - far exceeds ratings and won awards in the past. Not bragging, but yes they are losing some top performers. I know several that are leaving either way.
My advice to leadership - fire the Director and ups you’ve hired the past couple years. They are the absolute worst and are ruining your company. I’m looking at the folks coming from DTV and Best Buy here.
I have worked for 4 large companies in my career and I actually really like working for AT&T. It's not perfect but what company is. The good far outweighs the bad. I hope I am not impacted by this latest surplus but if I am, I think I will be hard-pressed to find a good as or better work experience.
No matter what level you are or what you job is or what your performance rating is, or where you live, you better be prepared to lose your job. "Safe" only means for "now".
This has been going on for years. I have seen it in occupational and management environments where AT&T promotes stressful scenarios fir employees like moving their job to the furthest away office eithin the defined geological radius where AT&T is targeting layoffs. Leaving voluntarily means employees are in-eligible for unemployment which is another expense avoided..
What groups in Long Beach?
The Layoffs have begun in Long Beach. The notices went out yesterday 01/23.
Excellent points and very well written. Anyone who isn’t taking this seriously deserves to get surplussed. And after each layoff, those left are expected to pick up the work load, adding hours to your day without compensation as the OP so eloquently stated. I can tell you so many are just demoralized and on edge they are struggling to work at all. Add a ridiculous commute on top and you have a nothing but miserable people barely functioning!