Just wondering how everyone feels about taking the severance and say good bye in February versus sticking around until the end of March. I understand some may still love to work for the company or financial reasons. I am no where close to retirement (40 years old with 20 years of service). Given the fact that choosing to stay until the end of Match, they can nominate you for any position within 50 miles, interview, and accept the job or loose your severance. I feel it is another bait to not offer severance. I could be wrong. Share your thoughts.
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Option 2. Not risking getting a job offer doing work that I don't like or end up working under a not so good supervisor. Also, I do not want to go through another layoff. Done on Feb 18th.
I would be amazed if they did anything to someone they laid off. Maybe if you steal or mess with computer systems/data or punch someone. This is the 60 day WARN period, this is not charity. They already took what mattered the day they laid you off.
@Xonsq6h-tpr As this poster said. You won’t find a job. Most mangers look down upon people laid off internally.
@qxh - I don't know the story with your coworker...but if you think about it, that is not much of a stretch...let's say the guy was picked for surplus because he was a low performer, he's been surplussed but is still on payroll for 60 days. He is still an employee at that point, any violation of COBC can warrant his termination, if his Boss knew he was up to something shady, he could easily set those wheels in motion.
I had a co-worker that was terminated after being surplussed prior to leaving. Wa;ked him out the door. Do not know why. Heard of this happening to someone else can't confirm.
So sick of it all. Starting to look outside the company. This BS of layoffs every quarter is bad for my health.
I am just tired of it all. Now I am being drained. Leaving Feb 18 I am retirement eligible. Dont use the insurance DONE
My point is if you start cobra a month later then you will end cobra a month later. If you leave in Feb, you will get 5 less weeks of pay.
30 days or 60 days you still get COBRA. COBRA is for 6 months at the exact same rate you're paying today. AT&T is counting on you staying 60 days out of fear alone.. You're likely skilled and you have a strong work history. You can change your mind all the way of the the eve of the 30 days.. Start looking outside of AT&T and avoid this hacking culture that is guaranteed to continue.
Those of you that think you are going to be barraged with all kinds of internal job offers thus running the risk of losing your severance, assuming you were not to accept one, are delusional. Folks I know that went through this last year could not even get an interview with the hiring manager in most cases. Use the 60 days to find your new job on the outside.
If you don't have new job lined up (I am talking external, you won't be getting an internal one), milk them for the 60 days. Work on your resume, take some interviews and land that new gig.
No one is running the risk of being offered a job they didn't apply for. Take the 60 and extra month till you have to go on cobra.
Trust me, there are few if any jobs most of us will be eligible for. If you are being let go because of location, pretty certain there will not be jobs in your area.
I left in March of '18. I had the same concerns. I chose to go option 1 and get the heck out of dodge fast. Ended up with another job within two weeks and still collected on severance. If you go with option 2 you absolutely run the risk of being offered a position (official or unofficial) and you don't take it they take your severance.. This, coming from a 47 year old, 19 year tenured Engineer. Hint.. You are marketable
Apply for a few jobs internally, polish your resume and cover letter and just know that there is a way better job and company out there for you and all of us. Do the very bare minimum that is required of you. They didn't think at all about cutting any of us so why should we do anything more for them. A better job and company is coming all of our way!
OP, I’m not sure I’ve come across anyone who’s been cut at AT&T, manager wise, who was given a new position within the company without exhausting some serious networking. And by networking I mean using all those years of relationship building, calling your buddy you started at the company with who’s now a director, etc. and using their contacts, networking, etc. too. I’m about 99.9% sure that if you do what’s required, update your resume, apply for a couple of “ghost” positions (positions in career path that we know are already filled, but by rule have to be posted for a time) in career path close to you, if any, that’ll you be able to comfortably ride out your 60 days with no job offer. Just leave on good terms, you never know where you’ll land in life, and you could someday work with/for a former surpluses colleague from AT&T. Best wishes! Life is not defined by what happens to you at AT&T, it’s all those little moments in between work that make it special.
Take the 60 days... They won't make you work. Find another job outside and hopefully you can double dip for a few weeks.
Is it that they can nominate you for another position? Or is it that you have to go in and nominate for positions?
What is he best way to play this?
Have a completely not updated and lackluster resume? Don’t interview well?
I’m curious what others experiences are?
I’d say you want to take the 60 days.
I took option 2 but I am retirement eligible. I totally agree if you reject an unattractive offer you will lose your severance package. Might be better to work with the outplacement firm LHH and start looking outside. Beef up your "brand", resume and linkedin. Try to get some recommendations on your linkedin page and build up your network. Company has extreme amount of debt from all the poor decisions of upper mis-management and will have another cut in 4th quarter so might as well just rip the bandaid off now. Best of luck to you. Over the years I have run into numerous former employees who had been surplused and they all end up happy with the new direction they take. There is definitely life outside of AT&T.