Thread regarding AT&T layoffs

LEAKED: formula for next round of layoffs (management)

The formula gives a very straightforward way of putting everyone in list order in an objective way. It will minimize lawsuits which cost the company over $30M annually. You may have noticed new software pushed to your laptops/desktops/HVDs which tracks and graphs activity to the keystroke.

The legend is beneath the formula, which is current as of April 3. Here is the formula:

(75A + 15B)/60 + (185C)/(D) + 1.375E + 2F + G/180 + 20H + 45*I + J

where:

A = number of telecommute days as determined by VPN login (one per calendar day max). If the employee badges in to the work location that day at least twice and at least four hours apart (e.g. when entering in the morning and when coming back from lunch), a subsequent VPN login is assumed to be working from home after hours and will NOT count against the employee for that day.

B = number of "mostly idle" hours per day at desktop; this is calculated by the new software (check your system tray on Windows or Mac) by making one random sample per minute on average; more than 30 random samples in one hour that determine an "idle" (non moving/non typing) state per minute flags that hour as "mostly idle". This prevents employees from using a "drinky bird" device to hit keys, which generally do so at a much more regular interval; random sampling defeats that. (half kidding about that; just pointing out that any sort of attempt to circumvent it will likely not work)

C = using internally developed voice technology via webex (this is why they're pushing webex), C is the number of times the employee's line is transmitting noise above a 45dB threshold just prior to the meeting host asking everyone to "please mute" or "We're getting a lot of voices on the line" (it uses AI to determine the phrases); If there is one piece of advice this shows, it's to mute your phones/mics when on a call. Loophole here: The voice tracking software is not integrated with Skype, so if you primarily use Skype, it will not affect you.

D = the number of hours on which the employee spent calls (just here to normalize this factor; however, if you have been the target of a lot of "please mute" events, notice you can dilute this factor by scheduling and attending a lot of extra calls, even if just for 15 minutes).

E = the number of pages of personal printing the employee does on workplace 2020 printers; the "print release" centralized software efficiently scans all print jobs and has been making this determination since October 2016. It does not matter how much material (i.e. toner) is on each page; it's simply number of pages.

F = the number of personal (non work related) websites visited. This is a tricky one; it will look at the domain name primarily; subsequent visits to pages under the same domain will not count further against you as long as they are made within forty five seconds of the initial hit. There are some loopholes here, the best I can tell: sites determined by CSO software to be work-related include things like stackoverflow for developers. Google searches by themselves are likewise NOT counted against you. However, just after glancing at a brief list, it appears that CNN is NOT considered work related (just pointing it out for being ironic). That may change in the formula over time.

G = your base salary in U.S. dollars. Simple enough. Does not count team award/KCA or any other special awards

H = a factor based on your geo zone. This seems to me to double-dip a bit with G, above. However, everyone as you may know is in a geo zone tied to their permanent work location, N1 through N4. The higher the cost of labor in that zone, the more expensive the employees is not only by salary but also for things like employment taxes, cost of office space, utilities etc. So this factor is N1=1, N2=2.5, N3=4, N4=6. So this factor really hurts people in high-cost cities like New York, San Francisco, etc. If you're in one of those, you might consider getting out if you think your job is in jeopardy. The geo zone is only sampled once; it was taken November 1 already, so you can't affect it this round.

I = a factor based on your appraisal rating ("impact") for the previous calendar year. Extraordinary Impact = 0, Meaningful Impact=1, Limited impact=4. You can see the outsized effect they are placing on this one; Limited Impact folks are getting hammered by this factor.

J = this allows GM level (director) and above to set a fudge factor for extraordinary circumstances. It can be negative or positive and could help push the employee up or down a little bit. It's rather limited though in that the range that they can select in Amplify) is only -20 to +20. This tool is available the Supervisor area in eCorp right now; however, it's grayed out and won't be available for managers until the scores are calculated company-wide.

It's estimated that the calculations will be run as soon as one year of data is gathered across all the above factors, which will be completed on May 1. On May 6, scores will be released to supervisors, who can then work with their GMs to input the fudge factor. Then top "scorers" will be ordered to determine the impact to the business. If there is too much impact in one area, they may cut it off for one business unit and hit another business unit harder. But it's expected that those affected will be automatically notified via email by May 15.

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| 28971 views | | 62 replies (last September 24, 2023) | Reply
Post ID: @OP+YFlDXtZ

62 replies (most recent on top)

Can they do that?

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Post ID: @q6lgg+YFlDXtZ

I wonder if they are still using this formula?

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Post ID: @pNlwl+YFlDXtZ

You missed the exemptions for: 1) Randy & Stank's car washers/gas tank topper-offers, 2) R & S' relatives; 3) R & S' pilots & flight attendants.

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Post ID: @3Keap+YFlDXtZ

Paranoia

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Post ID: @3Kcfk+YFlDXtZ

LOL, the only forumua is if you are a sycophant yes person or related to someone high enough on the ladder who can remove you from being in scope from the HR list. Everyone else is game.

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Post ID: @2tnmy+YFlDXtZ

@2tcia, steady there....you realize this person is fracking with you, right? Sit back, binge watch a BBC series with a hot cocoa this weekend and relax!

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Post ID: @2twry+YFlDXtZ

My head is spinning

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Post ID: @2tcia+YFlDXtZ

the most confusing reading experience ever has got to be ANY AT&T Bill image! I like it when I make changes that give a video bill because it really dumbs it down for my basic behind.

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Post ID: @1Wfen+YFlDXtZ

Could someone demo what this should look like filled in? And over what period of time? And what results are good or bad?

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Post ID: @Ybqn+YFlDXtZ

I’m a mobile manager. I manage ti different garages. I vpn twice a week and HVD in the other 3.

I received the key contributor award with extra ordinary impact in 2018. I received THE POWER OF YOU 3 months on the row for March, April and May for $300 dollar a month. Then in June 3 they gave me my notice. My area manager said it was because rank and Rating. I spoke to the third line and he said I didn’t do Anya thing wrong. I’m confused. I thought their supposed to keep the best of the best. So I told my 3rd line that I guess I was at the bottom and that’s why I was chosen. Then he said I didn’t say that. He still still didn’t give me a straight answer.

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Post ID: @Rrtj+YFlDXtZ

Right

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Post ID: @Lmxd+YFlDXtZ

at&t math from previous town halls - 1+1=3... what???

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Post ID: @khzn+YFlDXtZ

Nope

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Post ID: @kxgt+YFlDXtZ

It's at&t math you'll never be able to figure it out they make it say what they want it to say!

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Post ID: @gzkt+YFlDXtZ

It sounds plausible enough. When nobody trusts any words out of senior leadership’s mouths, it seems even more plausible.

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Post ID: @cswn+YFlDXtZ

It’s missing the part that checks employee age, years employed, and current salary. Anyone over 45 with more than 10 years is at risk. If you make over $100k, see ya.

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Post ID: @8pmd+YFlDXtZ

The formula is incorrect. It's missing the adjustment variable used when replying all with 'why am I receiving this? please remove me from this distribution' to an email accidentally sent to several hundred employees. It's also weighted based on how many others sent similar replyall messages before yours.

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Post ID: @5rkd+YFlDXtZ

whatever!!! it's their formula, so apply it or not, is their choice.

Each employ is working on all different situation, tasks, or environment.

But I am curious that does it mean high score is be safer forever?

Otherwise, what is it for? invented for layoff easily???

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Post ID: @5qdt+YFlDXtZ

Do you get bonus anti layoff points for forwarding an email down the chain of command that usually begins with "FYI ..." ?

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Post ID: @4wuu+YFlDXtZ

Yeah, dont know if true or not... but I am sure something is being tracked... and, like being told to do, I am "Collaborating" meaning I am out of my office, talking to people face to face.. no laptop, no phone

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Post ID: @4nwz+YFlDXtZ

If you have ever been on a cc and you have to spell out DEG to the staff Project Mgr who is taking notes you would realize that we do indeed have dead weight. Most know someone who plays the system to make it appear they are doing work. Jumping on every cc and while playing Candy Crush on their personal cell phone and then complain as to how busy they are. Issue is that it seems they have cut the bone with the fat.

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Post ID: @3hze+YFlDXtZ

This is believable ONLY because this is exactly the dim witted short sighted kind of piss poor planning and logic T uses to make the rest of its business decisions

What’s important- if this is true, screw it. I no longer give a sh-- about getting laid off.

A company that measures trivial things like this and not the important things that matter (customer satisfaction etc) is going NOWHERE. and fast.

So I’ll play along with this nonsense- BUT these SOBs are gonna have to PAY ME TO LEAVE.

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Post ID: @3wzf+YFlDXtZ

MSOC for Mgrs. How many keystrokes does it take to meet your objective and possibly stay employed. Difference between them and non management is knowing the threshold. Of course we will probably never find out in order to keep folks from trying to pad them.

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Post ID: @2qmp+YFlDXtZ

My AVP is too dumb to use this formula. He couldn't figure his way out of a paper bag.

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Post ID: @2azv+YFlDXtZ

OP must be the guy running this site. This post has most views and replies, certainly attracting a lot of traffics.

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Post ID: @2ird+YFlDXtZ

This formula might be bs. However if someone is in a group that basically does the same types of work and everyone else has 10% inactive time and one person has 50% continuously then who gets picked? Kind of like the outrunning the bear adage. And yes, everyone in a group can try to get to the lowest common denominator. Just means that group risks everyone being let go.

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Post ID: @2fmo+YFlDXtZ

The bottom line is they want to layoff people without law suit, so the best way is to have a lawyer approved formula.

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Post ID: @2wgy+YFlDXtZ

So, if you don't have your laptop in a collaboration room, PI session, meeting, or a course, the 'formula' already has you an inactive employee. I just finished a four-day course where laptops weren't allowed, and I participate in many face-to-face conference meetings where discussions are held but laptops and Webex are not used. So, this is formula is contradictory to the reality of day-to-day productivity, and the company's new strategy of 'collaboration'. I guess it is too logical to look at only factors like performance and product delivery.

We have to face the fact that the company is looking to get rid of employees, and everyone is a target. It is a matter of time. The company is now in $171 billion in debt. There is no coming back from it in my opinion.

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Post ID: @2scx+YFlDXtZ

Lets not act that the wireless tracking is not pretty accurate and use a possible one off as a basis for incompetence in that system. Entire industries are or have adapted this technology. From ankle bracelets to cargo ships around the world. In the past I did many GPS reviews with my guys. Got some of the typical the results are wrong responses but behaviors usually changed once they realized they were being monitored. No longer driving driving 20 miles out of route to meet another tech for lunch. The accuracy was good enough that in some crews techs got fired for disabling the system because they didn’t want to change their behavior. What is stupid to me is that everyone knows the company is or has the capability to monitor everything but some still have the attitude that they won’t be caught and if they do there are will be no ramifications at some point.

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Post ID: @2ado+YFlDXtZ

Glad I’m leaving. Too bad it’s not soon enough. Still need to stick it out for another 6-8 months.

This used to be an awesome place to work, loved my bosses and the people. Now, it’s just a miserable place to be.

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Post ID: @2cwx+YFlDXtZ

VP Hargrove warned us about being closely monitored in his town hall in January. So, this formula merits some credence to be very true. Like everything else that progressives have implemented, this formula lacks sound judgement, genuine management and leadership, and human factors that will otherwise contribute toward a positive outcome. If GPS shows an employee in one place when the dispatch suggests another location, is that the employees fault? NO! There is a management and leadership problem. Old school management once suggested that automation is only as smart and as wise as the individual who created it.

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Post ID: @2wlh+YFlDXtZ

OP, put down the MJ pipe/bunt.

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Post ID: @2ktq+YFlDXtZ

I need to study this formula as I am ready to be laid off with a severance and save someone else's job who wants to stay.

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Post ID: @2wss+YFlDXtZ

How would funding for this process be a issue? You can reasonably assume that if you count the total cost per employee to be 100,000 then 10 people let go would equate to a million. We will never know the total number cut this past quarter but there has been a pretty big cut in expenses. Not saying they needed a big data approach and no doubt a lot of good people were let go but the technology is there to indeed check under the hood. GPS by itself has been used to let people go. Accessing inappropriate websites the same. You would think that in the many years since that type of tracking was introduced the capability has been tweaked a little.

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Post ID: @2mjd+YFlDXtZ

Calibrate your multiple drinky birds with slightly different angles of teter-totter, then get a small low speed oscillating fan to add more variations in key depression speed. You will be ok until you are fired later. You will learn to make it to another day, do not depend upon formal training.

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Post ID: @1unm+YFlDXtZ

Agree the previous post, they do not need this kind of calculation to fire the people. But you never know maybe it is from HR - new innovation with big data approach.

If this is true I wil feel sad the company I have worked for many years.

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Post ID: @1kof+YFlDXtZ

The poster has no idea how AT&T even operates lol. You realize to even get this to fly you would have needed a business case with ROI and then funding for the team responsible, so that will help all of you who believe this troll post. You don’t need algorithms or big data to fire people, you just have to ask the organizations avps and directors where they can cut. They will do it, it’s part of their job. Being on a pc all day does not mean you are productive. They are paying to solve problems and innovate, not do TPS reports, especially since its now on us to make the debt payoff that they promised Wall Street. Besides they are way too busy re-orging so they can never stay on top of anything for very long.

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Post ID: @1bco+YFlDXtZ

Easy, obtain multiple drinky birds and everything will be ok untill your fired again.

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Post ID: @1gwy+YFlDXtZ

Lunch?? Those were eliminated years ago.

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Post ID: @1ayp+YFlDXtZ

You forgot Y and Z. Y = Number of sheets of toilet paper you use, and Z = Number of flushes you make of the toilet. That's why I always login to the VPN early if I know it's going to be a heavy toilet day, cause if you are logged as VPN for the day they don't count Y and Z. Just breeze through the door behind someone instead of swiping the badge. Then at the stall you can swipe repeatedly.

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Post ID: @1ieb+YFlDXtZ

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