Thread regarding AT&T layoffs

Its very unlikely that they will offer you a job as a surplussed employee. Take the 60 day option and work on your resume and interviewing skills. Its also very unlikely that you will even get an interview for an internal job. They treat Surplus Employees like Lepers waiting to go to the colony. If somebody calls you wanting something, advise them you have been surplussed and are looking for a job.

Apply for all the cr@p and executive level jobs you are NOT qualified for. If you get an interview, torpedo yourself. Keep this up as long as you have to to make HR happy. If they give you any static, hire an attorney to represent you in your meetings with them. They’ll p@@p their pants.

P.S...their claims about “who got tapped” on Jan 28th 2019 are incomplete at best or an outright lie at worst. I was working in one of the hottest growing segments of the business...”Mobility” , where I’ve been busier then we’ve been in fifteen years. For the last six months I’ve been doing the work of two since they terminated my partner last July. Mobility has been carrying the balance sheet of the company for twenty-five years so if you think there are any jobs in that group...good luck. It’s all about money so maybe if you’re from India, Malaysia or the Middle East and are willing to work for half my pay, the door to employment may be open for you there.

@ 1fsm - you are a veritable fountain of misinformation. Wow. Upside/ downside to taking the severance? Why would anyone NOT take a severance they are entitled to? What in the wide world of sports are you taking about? The OP is weighing options with regard to leaving in 30 days or staying 60 days . Either way, you're getting your severance.

"With 9 years service, you can expect ~9 weeks worth of severance. 60 days is less than 7 weeks."

60 days is actually a little more than 8 weeks - it's true, punch it in your calculator.

For management (non-bargained), for each year you get approx. 2 weeks, peaking at 13 years = 26 weeks = 50% annual salary.

You don’t have to accept any internal job offer at a lower level or in another city (50 miles?) and it’s unlikely there are any decent jobs left in El Segundo anyways. Also you will have the “surplus” stigma on your back. Just logon and search each day and apply for some c-ap jobs in case HR makes a stink. I played this game in El Segundo last year for the 60 days

Depends on how long you’ve been there. If you’ve got enough time to retire, and don’t plan to have any other health care going forward, don’t take option 1 or 2, go with the MTP or “management transition plan”. The company is scared to death you will take that option as that would be the most expensive thing for them to do even WITH your $6000.00 annual deductible if you need long term medical going forward. However, if you can get on someone else’s health care plan, take option 2. Take the money and run. The “benefits” of discounted phone and Internet service that you lose with a severance package but retain with retirement are a joke. Also, if you take the MTP, the company can still (at any time going forward) revoke your life insurance, health care, discounts on products and services etc. If you take option 1 and manage to get a job, it will likely be a real meat-grinder job that was recently abandoned by one or more employees. One you will almost certainly hate with impossible objectives. One that the company will eagerly give you poor performance marks for and then...labeled as a poor performer...can terminate you without ANY benefits. It’s all a chess game designed to save them as much as possible with EVERY move. You are now on the “other side” of the fence. The HR department is not going to do anything now to HELP you...The last time they worked for the employee and not the company was...well, maybe really never at AT&T but they may have been good as Cingular but we’re definately better as Ameritech. Good luck. It’s not the business or company it was but you still are. On your last day driving away from the office or place where you work, stop at three area businesses and just walk into their front offices. Look around, ask for an application if you like what they do. Maybe see someone smile...maybe hear someone tell a joke. Realize some part of America still exists and imagine yourself actually being interested and motivated like you have not been in years. There is life outside the “Death Star”. Jump in...the water will be fine!

Take the 60 days. No one is going to watch for you to self-nominate for a job.

A number of years ago, I applied for over 100 jobs while on a 60 day letter. Took every one of the 60 days get finally get the job. I was lucky, I did get a few job interviews. Some were obvious, they had no intention of giving me the job but felt pressure from somewhere to interview someone on a 60 day letter.

There is no reason to leave early, unless you have already found a new position somewhere else.

we in AT&T also feel like our jobs suffered when you all in DTV came along. DTV has no clue what they are doing in our world either. you wont get another job from career path. i know people who've put in for 100+ jobs with zero interviews.

No one is going to be monitoring your internal applications. The company does offer many resources for resume writing etc. that you will need. You could spend the time working on your profile so you will be prepared when you leave. If your manager expects you to work on company things- hint: they don’t, you will be segregated and you will feel it, then just go. But as someone who has been surplused 5 times from 5 different companies in my working life (sigh) having that resume ready makes all the difference in your head.

Oh, I almost forgot:

You're going to get a bonus check in March. This is also a "windfall" to UI if you start to take UI before you cash your bonus check.

With 9 years service, you can expect ~9 weeks worth of severance. 60 days is less than 7 weeks.

Upside to taking the severance:

Somewhat more money than working 60 days.

You don't have commute costs to go to work for 60 days.

You don't have both work stress and job hunt stress at the same time.

Frees up your days to job hunt.

You can also collect Unemployment Insurance on top of your Severance (depends on your state).

Downside to taking the severance:

Tax hit taking 9 weeks pay all at once (you get it back next year, but).

May have to wait as much as 45 days to receive severance, which means you have to be able to live on what you already have now, and could complicate Unemployment Insurance (have to either have enough money to delay the start of UI until you can cash your severance check or deal with the paperwork of telling UI about your "windfall" in the middle of your UI).

Resume gap (if you think you can find a job during the 60 days you're still working).

Good luck!

I would not worry about getting a job, stay the 60 apply for jobs you are not qualified for. I was laid off in October applied for 20-30 jobs got nothing but automated denials

You have less than a 10% chance of finding another job internally. Even if you do get one you stand the chance of being cut again in the near future. You don't want to be there and they don't want you there. In my opinion, take the money and leave as soon as possible. Keep moving forward and don't look back.

Laid off in December. I know one person who got a job and they wanted to find one. Maybe 75% looking to stay and they have not gotten an interview. I have not submitted for any job and no one has said a word. There are a few others who are not looking internally either. There are thousands of people looking and just over 1000 positions open, mostly sales. You won't find me a job even if you try. Go 60

I , along with what I've heard is thousands of others, were notified on Monday 1/28 that my position is being surplused. I have been in an engineering position for over 20 years. I've been working to transition my skill set into the identified areas of growth and have completed alot of training in several areas. Doesn't seem to matter. I'm trying to stay positive but it's hard. I hope that at&t can turn things around before it's too late.

I wouldn't worry about getting a job offer. Even employees that try extremely hard to find another position find that those doors are closed to them. Apply for enough positions to keep HR off your back, it's extremely unlikely you would get chosen for any of them.

Depends on your financial situation. If you are over 55 or 55 this year you can pull from 401k and not pay the penalty. If you have enough saved to fill the gap until the severance check arrives and you dislike the company take the early out.

The sad part is it takes several weeks to get through the hiring process. If you take the 60 day option and don't really work it hard you will not have a job offer at the end. Even if you worked hard there are many people trying and unless you stand out or have a great recommendation you are not likely to get a job.

My advise to you, just go ahead and apply as you plan. But not to wary the offer you a job there are no Job internally. They are not real jobs... so play the acting game, till your 60 days over. Apply else where and best of luck for you!

Probably luck and being at the right place at the right time as long as you are in a collaboration zone.

I opted for the 60 day option. I would take any job if they offered it to me but think it is highly unlikely that will happen. I personally don't know of one person over the past 2 layoffs who was able to actually find another job within the company....and I know a LOT of people who have been laid off.

Worst case scenario, if I am forced to take a job I'm really unhappy with, I'll just continue to apply and interview for jobs outside of the company. In the meantime, I'll be collecting a paycheck.

I was surplussed too, 9 years but legacy at&t. I moved to el segundo about 2 years ago. From my experience with these it is very unlikely that you will get nominated for a job (or get a new gig) unless you utilize some serious networking. good luck!