Don’t get me wrong, I condemn the manner in which this was done, and doubt the necessity of it, at least in this form, but I’m afraid it is more than that. It’s not just that they made a wave of layoffs or plan to cut for a while until they reach a certain number or a goal, but I’m sad to say that they pushed the company to a state of constant layoffs where no parameter other than the company’s interest at a certain time is indicated whether someone’s job is safe or not. They will continue to cut, restructure and every job that is not necessary at the time, or can be outsourced, contracted, or done cheaply is in constant danger. Welcome to the “new” AT&T.
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What layoffs happened?
Good post. I survived this round, but I would suggest you all start looking. I haven’t been at T but a few years; however, I’m not sticking around. I teter on quiting almost on a daily basis due to the piss poor leaders we have. They are the worst I’ve ever seen and I’ve been at several companies. Use your time wisely while you have a job to find your next job. I’m applying daily to other companies. I’m done complaining, time to move on.
Prior to working for this jewel, I worked for GTE/Verizon for 17 years and during that time went through 1 strike as Craft and 5 rounds of layoffs as Management (we called them RIFs- Reductions in Force). The fifth one got me.
All were done under the guise of reorganization to adapt to a rapidly evolving landscape or some such MBA PR BS.
Truth of the matter, it mostly was the result of high-ranking, but technologically and socially clueless old SOBs making decisions in a moment of panic.
We called it "Management By Crisis".
AT&T has that same disease.
There is no cure.
Well said. You pretty much covered life at T. waiting for the next round. yeah. gives you a chance to innovate on how to avoid being in the next round.
maybe they could have a harvard business class on that. how to avoid the next surplus 101.
"The old T treated us with respect"
What?!?! You know what we called legacy AT&T?
Another
Tech
Terminated
Upper management at Legacy T ran themselves into the ground. None of them should have been kept after SBC bought them.
OP, liked your post with one exception, and a minor one at that. The T I knew, and work for, since the mid 80’s was consumed and swallowed whole in the SBC merger and only the logo was kept for its ‘branding’ value worldwide.
The old T treated us with respect, and we in turn gave them back our loyalty. And so that loyalty started to become a thing of the past, and when a negative connotation comes up I mention my company as SBC because AT&T doesn’t deserve the wrap.
When SBC swept in, like the song goes, it was “the day the music died.”
You expressed what most of us feel
Great post .
T is a cesspool of corruption, the swamp that we all talk about since the 2007 Bell south acquisition
I feel very strongly that the company has gone past the point of no return with these layoffs. Yes, we have always had the spectre of layoffs looking, but now- they have committed to cutting 1/3 and up of the workforce by 2020.
The problem with this strategy is that it is impossible to cut in such a massive level without creativity an environment of fear, uncertainty, and resentment. I have not been here as long as some, but long enough- 15 years and I have never seen morale take a hit this bad. There is no way to motivate and get the best out of employees in this kind of environment. And I manage people. Just being brutally honest here.