It's like I hear about another person quitting every day - literally! What's going on? From what I can surmises, nothing major happened or was announced in the time just before that - so what is prompting this mass exodus?
I'm pretty sure it must be something, since I stopped believing in coincidences long ago...
An extra 6 figures I would had lost staying.
Interest rate for the management lump sum. It was 6 figures for me.
Additionally, those that were surplussed leave behind vast amounts of work to do.
Those that are left not only have to do their own jobs, but now pick up the extra work from those who have left. Given the numbers of people left to do said work, it's easy to see how this will impact your performance ratings when you " fail to get the job done ".
The first step in getting rid of someone is to give them an impossible task. When they can't get it done, they now have justification in getting rid of you. If, by some miracle, you DO get it done, they simply give you two impossible tasks next time. At some point, you'll fail to get it done and that's that.
If you have the age / service and can go, a lot of folks are making the decision to do so before, they too, are shown the door.
https://www.fiercetelecom.com/operators/industry-voices-walker-hidden-truth-about-5g-layoffs
I have to take a different view than the many I people that I see on here stating you should just quit, be proactive, and don't wait to be surplussed. For many in the "target" demo, those of a certain age and length of service (like me), it's not that simple. I am choosing to be proactive and preparing while still here. That involves paying off all debt that I can, saving as much cash in an emergency fund that I can, brushing up the resume, being active on LinkedIn, and networking to the best of my ability; explaining that I am anticipating being in the job market within the next year or 2, but not ready to move yet. After 20+ years I earn a good salary here. Have a ton of vacation time. Having feelers out for the last year or so I am resigned to the fact that it's likely I will not make as much (right away at least), in my next gig. I certainly won't have the same vacation time either. I actually still enjoy my work and I like my team, but like everyone else, I am weary of the constant cycle of layoffs. Though honestly I am sort of becoming numb to it. As it continues, with each round I am actually more at ease. I realize this is probably backward thinking as the herd continues to get thinned, theoretically my number is closer to coming up. I am just not fretting about it as much anymore, as there is nothing I can do about it. What I CAN do is what I mentioned above, and continue to save $$, and wait until asked to leave, then collect my severance and pension and hit the trail.
"It’s very stressful just waiting on the ax to fall." it is also a waste of one's life.
@Yuj1opg-bjk - yep well said. Why stay somewhere that treats you like dirt. Lots of jobs out there where you get respect and surplusing isn't the way they manage their employees. Att will get their karma one of these days. You can't operate the way they do and expect good things to happen.
People are quitting because this conpany is showing it’s true colors and by that i mean they dont give two f**ks about anyone working here except the guys at the top
Might depend on your area - if you have the sense that hundreds of workers will get RIF'd in the coming months, why would you wait and become one more hungry hyena in that pack interviewing for the same jobs.
Better to get out ahead of the group and nail down another career before the floods hit.
I see a lot of those laid off place pictures of their AT&T employee badges in pictures on LinkedIn telling the people that most likely laid them off hi ow grateful they were to be a past employee. I guess this is the new way to announce you got laid off.
1 proactive
2 leaving on your own terms, help you keep you sanity.
3 better to find a job when you have a job, as you can better negotiate, refuse stupid offers Vs. hit the wall and take anything to oa6 the bills...
I am not aware of anyone "quitting". I have seen a heck of a lot of people leave, most recently on 3/29, but "quit" is not the correct terminology.
Simple answer. The writing is on the wall
I completely agree. When I began my “career” with this company I couldn’t believe I’d finally found something I really enjoy doing and pays a competitive wage to boot! Prem tech, 06-13 is my hire date. When I began with this company there were over 90 Pts at my garage location and I quickly moved up the seniority ladder. I was 30 some odd guys from the bottom and I have done nothing but shine every year numbers and customer reports wise, now after this previous layoff I find my self 6 from the bottom. I built my resume up last month and have been applying at every position I can find that will allow me to make a lateral move both craft wise and wage wise. I have over $29k in my 401k and I have all three home services with A$TT. My workforce has been left out to drop dry by both the union that “represents” me and the company that trained me. To be frank, it’s B$! I’m sick of waiting for the axe to fall waiting and hoping to make the move into TFS and extend my career with this company. I have to make a decision sooner than later, I’m choosing sooner. If everything goes right with my upcoming interview I’ll work my last job for this company in three weeks. The position resembles a pile of p--p left sitting in the backyard all winter turning white from the elements of said winter and soon we’ll be nothing more than dust in the wind. You’re foolish to risk your family’s financial future at the hands of these careless shareholders and money driven white collared bean counters.
Can only speak for former DTV Craft, but the 50% of our total Techs that have quit so far did so to get ahead of the layoffs we know are in our future.
One good thing about meeting 6 strangers every day, you get to network!
Everyone of the guys who quit in the last year walked away from T and into a new job that same week. That goes for 2 first lines who said adios.
The rest of us are either riding the train to end of the tracks in a year or two or looking to bail this year. Not a one believes they will be still working at T in 3 years.
Why don't you just ask the people you say are quitting, then you can tell us. Why ask us?
With respect, quitting is not a “grown up decision” and whether I, or anyone else who helps to pay a mortgage, pay the bills or raises their kids needs to make a premature decision about what is, or is not “inevitable,” is debatable.
Do your due diligence and prep your Résumé and look to see what is available in the market (if you are truly unhappy) but don’t jump unnecessarily, and certainly don’t have this false notion that you’re throwing a dagger into the company as a last hurrah.....they would care less and might have said, ‘ok, no severance, less money into a pension, no more matching 401K....sounds good!’ And if necessary, your position would be filled before you started that next job you were so quick to jump to.
And there is an unwritten rule, which doesnt apply to most T employees, “last in, first out.” A lot of bosses adhere to that rule to keep employee loyalty. You may be very good, but company loyalty trumps a lot of skills you may bring to the table when the next Recession comes knocking.
The major driver for the exits at end of March was related to interest rates when taking a management lump sum pension payout. They extended last year’s interest rate (which is lower) until 3/31/2019, which results in a considerably higher payout. As interest rates rise, lump sum payouts decline.
people wait to get their bonus before leaving.
people wait to get their annual salary bump so they can negotiate from that at the new place.
both 1 and 2 occured in early march starting the clock on moving on.
not a lot of job change occurs over christmas. So some people started looking with the new year.
thousands in ATO were laid off to be off the books March 29. So they just had their last day.
as mentioned by others, people were told to report to worksite rather than 100% telework. If they're going to have to drive to an office anyway, why not find another place to work, and get a salary bump up too.
Another thing happening in Management is we originally were able to work remote and buy a house over 50 miles from the hubs. Now people are being told get into the hub or lose your job.
It's the smart thing to do. And if you do it together, it's the last dagger you have to throw at AT&T.
I smelled this pile of garbage heading Wire Tech's way in 2016. Left by the end of that year.
It's never too late to grab your nuts, make a grown up decision, and do the inevitable--- QUIT!
We know it’s just a matter of short time before our number is called for surplus so I think people are taking their futures into their own hands and proactively getting ahead of the eight ball. It’s very stressful just waiting on the ax to fall.