Best advice I can give anyone on this thread who is concerned of an involuntary RIF is this. I spend the greater part of 20 years with VZ....sales to HQ....it's a great company. All companies go through changes, and this one started with Diego coming in. Not at all saying that was a bad move, but that was the beginning of the new leadership regime in the making. Companies change, C-level execs change. But we can't always expect everything to always run the same. Any company is only as good as who runs is in conjunction with who works on the floor. Verizon still remains a great company, but the VSP was the best option for me and most others because we needed to diversify our resumes and personal experience.
So, what I would say to anyone not even close to retirement and fitting the concern of an involuntary....don't.... Spend as much time with Verizon which is right for you and the company, but make sure you are comfortable enough with your experience to go elsewhere on your own or prepared if that decision is not yours. Nothing is forever, and your comfort-zone is great for your growth and potential, but not for the long haul.