Thread regarding AT&T layoffs

@1kmi it's not a matter of being retirement eligible. Many people hit that eligibility prior to even age 55. You might or might not get a pension (annuity or lump sum), but you may not even be old enough to tap the 401k. Point is, being eligible under company retirement rules doesn't mean you are able to retire. And face it, finding a new job after 50 is not always easy to do. Most people in this situation were just hoping for a few more years.

Have to agree the delivery method stinks but the immediate boss almost certainly didn’t make the decision for individuals to be laid off. In fact it’s likely that he was blindsided as well.

Some people can pull it together and show compassion, others are in a state of shock and can barely perform the task at hand.

Sounds like the boss isn’t good at his job. We all have had them.

Still, it’s disheartening to hear about good folks let go because of a numbers game.

I have a question as I am seeing that I don't understand how this works. Are those people with 29, 32, 34, and 40 years, whom I assume are retirement eligible, able to retire after they get this call, or is it too bad and so sorry you almost made it? I am hoping that the company is letting those whom are eligible to retire.

I am a cable splicer in a very large area and have 24 years of service. I am the top in seniority in my crew and am on the top 7 in my entire district. As far as that goes, I feel that we are still a very much needed component to building the infrastructure. We didn't get any notifications yesterday. It is my understanding that if some sort of surplus were to hit our side of the business, that they would start at inverse seniority. Is this still true? I desperately need to get my 30 years in since I started with Southwestern Bell at the age of 21. I will be too young to leave with anything less than 30.

I hope that the company is letting those with the eligibility to retire to do so.

@Xl01QZ3 I am a Mgmt. Employee (so far unaffected but have received nothing yet telling me it is over this round-- nothing at all from anyone) - I do suspect that some day in the future (this year) I will be effected. Purpose of my post is to tell you about 4 years ago I had to go to Dallas several times for Fiber/Copper splicing training and I am SURE I had your husband as the instructor. Instantly liked him and was very good at what he did.. I am sorry to hear that such a gentleman was treated this way... I have great memories of his classes and going to lunch with him... It was great to see how two fellow employees from different parts of the company could bond and get along (this was true for everyone in that class he taught.. not just me) ....sad to hear what they did to him (and most others) its no consolation, but know that some if not all of us appreciated what he did, and appreciated the friendship that was formed from being in those classes. Good luck to him and you too.. these things are difficult, I hope he can begin to kick back and relax a little more now and not financially devastated.

@Xl01QZ3-gmz: right so you now arbitrate who should leave and who should not? Man we ought to put you in charge. You know what they say about people who assume things about others....

Those of us in Verizon IT had just as bad an experience and not even the decency of a personal phone call. While our colleagues were invited to a Town Hall by the CEO and head of HR to talk about a voluntary program, 2500 of us were invited to a different call by the head of IT and told that since we were the cream of the crop we were being sold to Infosys. How's that for a kick in the butt.

To all of you impacted today, I'm truly sorry. And just because you have many years of service does NOT mean you are ready to or should be required to, retire.

I get it, but I doubt it matters if it's 4 minutes or 4 hours. It's all the same. I don't think it's that the person has no skills, but the fact the person is in effect charging the company a lot of money and benefits for the skills. They can be the best employee in the world, but they aren't cheap. At the end of the day, if someone else can do it cheaper or they can do without it, they will. It's the same as when you make purchases over the Internet instead of going to a local store, or you go to Walmart instead of going to a small shop. It doesn't reflect how you feel about those places, you do it cause of the price / cost to you. You don't even consider peoples jobs when you make those purchases. It's not a judgement, but just consider how many people and media insult you or call you racist if you say America First or anything derivative of that policy, and you will have your answer.

@Xl01QZ3-vwp don’t assume that phone call was any easier to make than receive. No good decent manager ever wants to make that phone call and the shorter the conversation the better for all. It takes time to absorb what is being told to you no matter how prepared you think you are to bear it.

29 years with... those that misunderstood my statements and thought I was complaining about him being surpluses... pump the brakes.... My frustration comes from watching my husband who was one that truly cared about his job and the company. If any of you ever came to Houston or Dallas for training, you probably have crossed paths and you are better off for it. My frustration comes from the callousness and ease that someone can hide behind a phone, read a script, and not have the respect or care for your team to stand face to face and have a conversation. For those who think they know about pensions and 401ks etc, He earned it! He worked for it. He showed loyalty to gain it. For those concerned about their time in service of 10-20 years, my nephew who got his job through his uncle, my husband, is in what was formally I&R, and in that time frame so we are concerned for him too. I myself was a Prem Tech for quite some time but knew I deserved better lol. My point is not about money, it is about the people.

My husband was 3 years away from being eligible. That s---s, sorry your story doesn't.

A couple complaining about 35 and 32 years of service being let go with a severance package, fat pension fund, years and years of 401K match is about as first world problem as it is gonna get.

This is the reason ATT is in the gutter for share price. No other company offers/offered this much benefits, discounts, matches, vacations and so on.

The dividend is now 6%+

People with that much wealth accumulation time with pension benefits, SS still available and 401K dividends should be making 100K at this point a year without selling a single share.

People who downvote this have no clue what the real world is like there having being coddled by this company for over three decades.

It is almost like saying everyone must live past 100 despite the fact that the resources to feed the overall population is limited and dwindling.

It is the 15-20 yrs service type people who are stuck in a rock and a hard place of non updated skills and too far from retirement that are actually hurt here.

Not the 35 year grampa employees who cannot and many will not learn the latest in tech needs to move forward.

Every media outlets all over. Then of course Lawyers will come into the mix.

I can't believe at&t want this kind of pubicity

go to the media? you mean 'CNN', LOL

The people so close to retirement should go to the media. This is crazy!

@tfo- were you told you and husband not allowed to look for job? Or were you hit in the past rounds and couldn’t get a job within the 60 days?

My husband and I both, after 35 and 32 years of service and not ready to retire, received calls that we were surplused and were not able to find positions within the company. Maybe he will luck out and sounds like you are still employed. Good luck.

29 years at the job with a HUGE accumulated benefits and discounts, company 401K matches, pensions and so on and you want people to cry you a river?

Your husband was the PERFECT candidate to phase out as a company building towards the future rather than keeping RIP people in place.

Did you think this was a forever as you please job?

So sorry that happened. Couldn't even let him get his 30 years. Sad.