#culture

There is a fundamental disconnect between Dan’s stated ambition around AI-led transformation and the behavior being driven by current leadership.

Leaders are not just failing to prioritize upskilling—they are actively deprioritizing and, in many cases, dismissing learning initiatives as non-essential.
Immediate operational demands are consistently positioned above capability building, effectively preventing employees from investing in AI and future-ready skills.

I want to provide this feedback. Where can I provide that?

There is a pattern of behavior where the individual keeps project teams siloed and separated, while expecting everyone to remain aware of all activities. At the same time, information is selectively hidden within teams, creating confusion and lack of transparency.

Communication is often done in Hindi, which can exclude some team members from fully understanding discussions. The individual also appears to influence people to report directly to him, positioning himself as a central point of control. When status updates are requested, he tends to protect those who report to him, which encourages more people to align with him for safety.

Conversely, those who do not report to him are often put in a negative light—either blamed, overlooked, or set up in ways that impact their performance or perception. There are instances where opinions are shaped against certain individuals, affecting their growth, ratings, and opportunities. Senior leadership responsibilities such as supporting, mentoring, and enabling team success are not being fulfilled consistently.

This environment has led to decreased trust, lack of collaboration, and has been a contributing factor in multiple team members choosing to leave.

What if the board had chosen a qualified ceo instead of BDB?

How is the morale? It feels like rock bottom here in Denver. All the leaders in TX and completely disconnected from the business and staff.

Is there any org thats even half decent?
It used to feel the infrastructure, CTO architecture are the main incompetent organization. Now its all over in every LOB.

Are you being harassed on day off ?

Store manager texts getting out of hand. Phone going off every five minutes

I am going to enjoy life till June 30th.
Not going to train my replacement. All my skills will go with me.

The atmosphere at Oracle right now is honestly exhausting. It feels like everyone’s on edge all the time—you can’t even go grab coffee or step into the bathroom without overhearing someone talking about layoffs. It’s nonstop.

I kind of regret bringing it up to my manager. I thought I’d get some clarity, but it was just the usual vague “our org might be impacted” answer. Now I’m overthinking it, like did I just make myself look anxious or put a target on my back? I hate that I even opened that door.

And honestly, we’ve all seen how this goes. They’ll use this as a reason to freeze raises, skip promos, no stock refreshes, and then expect the same people to pick up all the extra work afterward. It’s hard not to feel cynical about it at this point.

Even if I make it through, I don’t know how much longer I want to stay. I’ve been a top performer for six years and it’s been… fine, I guess? But not in a way that makes me feel secure or valued. And now with all this going on, it just makes everything feel kind of pointless.

Also, the whole AI push here feels so surface-level. I’ve been working on my own stuff outside of work, so I’m actually interested in it, but internally it just feels like teams are scrambling to throw together basic agents so they can say they’re “doing AI.” We don’t even have the data to do anything meaningful. It’s frustrating to watch.

I can imagine how everyone feels, especially the veterans. I'm still here, but it doesn't really matter, does it? They can drop more of this on us anytime. We're being betrayed by a company so many of us have given years to. I'm saying this knowing I might get ridiculed. And I know, on an intellectual level, that this is how things work. But as a human being and a professional, I feel we are being betrayed.

Just saying.

I started my career at a startup, then joined EM, and after a few years I moved to Amazon. I see a lot of comments claiming that big tech companies are just as toxic as XOM, but that hasn’t been my experience. Amazon is competitive, sure, but it’s a much healthier kind of competition. At XOM, people would take credit for your work or try to humiliate you if you weren’t part of their internal “cult.” My experience at Amazon has been nothing like that. I’m not saying everything is perfect, but the benefits, pay, and overall environment are significantly better, and the competition feels more professional rather than personal. For me XOM culture was way too toxic.

Outing myself as a NJ resident; I participated for many years at the Verizon Corporate Classic 5K in Morristown that benefits the JBWS organization (supporting DV victims in the area). It was always a fun event to participate in with coworkers and family members. As far as I know, Verizon was always the premier corporate sponsor for this thousands-large event every July, organizing everything down to the (talented, classically trained!) singer for the National Anthem.

I got laid off this past November; I was happy to see an email come through my personal account letting me know the race is still on for this summer. But the branding looked totally different. I went to verizoncorporateclassic dot com, and it redirects to morristowncorporateclassic dot com with no indication whatsoever that Verizon is sponsoring it. At least it still benefits JBWS.

I guess Dan really is cutting all the fat, huh? even some of the lean?

Workplace Benefits has just launched an Adobe project management called Worfront. It is a s@/!t sandwich. No one has a clue to use it and management knows it but won’t admit. Ah, only the best and brightest team here at the Bank

It's too much expecting things to improve when it's not just one thing, it's everything. Change the leadership, but if we still have the outdated systems, the processes that require I jump through fifteen hoops to get something done, and the nonexistent morale among the employees, thing will hardly improve. This place needs a major overhaul, top to bottom.

Be honest... how many real hours are you working per week?

Not meetings or being online… actual focused work. 10? 15?

I think most people spend their time in meetings instead of actually working.

Did anyone else notice RV gave himself a $50mm bonus on top of salary and stock options in March 2026? A 258% increase in Y/Y not too bad. But, I am sure the remaining staff will get a pizza party. The greed coming out of leadership is truely next level

Reading the flurry of posts here is tough for me as I'm sure it is for many others with survivor's guilt. Can't help but want to leave ASAP from this sinking ship. FWIW, here's what I learnt about the situation today (some of it repetitive of what's already been shared).

This is a pilot initiative affecting CIO, Dev and PS.

Affected capital markets solution groups for pilot = IAM (InvestTran, InvestOne) and Data (DIM, PIM, CAM).

Cap markets pilot is just for these solution groups in 2026, with full rollout planned in 2027 across others. Obviously these timelines are subject to change.

LoB (line of business) was kept in the dark until this week.

Effective immediately: people being RIF'd (backfilled in Zensar) and rebadged (moved under Zensar). RIF announcements were made today.

RIF vs rebadge is based on employee grade and where Zensar has offices to take on ex-FIS staff.

But hey, glad that didn't stop the company taking its top brass and the 2025 leading sales performers (and their +1s) to a fancy resort in Switzerland via business class for a week.

For shame, FIS leaders. It's not that we don't understand shareholder primacy, it's just that this all feels like it was so avoidable.

has anyone else heard anything about hih not being called HIH anymore? why is that? because the perception was so negative?

Can you guys stop complaining? It’s making the directors, VP, and the CEOs friends uncomfortable!

Anyone who applied for a position, but then didn’t get it-yet there is evidence of a friend, family remember, or just “someone I know” who got the job-you can file with the EOC. Chronyism is illegal in this circumstance. Easy to prove-just look up their profile on linked-in, true people, or do an internet search. Screen shot the evidence. This applies to internal and external applicants.

Just su-k it up already! You can’t get paid your incentive checks on time so that the money can go to the top dawgs.

If you make them a ton of revenue, they will fly to your location and cook you a piece of chicken. Congrats! Smile! Get back in your food line! They might even splurge and buy you a $20 trophy or print a piece of paper that says you did good.

Definition:
Cronyism—favoring friends or associates for jobs or contracts regardless of merit—is often not inherently illegal in the private sector, but it is prohibited in government and high-stakes sectors to prevent corruption, conflict of interest, and discrimination. It is deemed illegal when it violates fair hiring laws, creates hostile work environments, or involves unlawful government quid pro quo.
The Law Dictionary
The Law Dictionary
+4
Here is why cronyism is illegal or heavily restricted:
Public Trust and Corruption: In government, appointing cronies violates public trust, breaks transparency, and often leads to illegal corruption where contracts are awarded to unqualified allies.
Discrimination Laws: While hiring a friend isn't illegal, it becomes unlawful if that favoritism is based on protected characteristics like race, religion, gender, or age, creating a discriminatory hiring process.
Contract and Liability Risks: In business, cronyism can lead to illegal "hostile work environment" claims or breach of contract if established hiring procedures were bypassed to hire a friend.
Economic Inefficiency: It restricts economic growth by prioritizing political connections over innovation and skill, often violating anti-trust or fair competition laws (crony capitalism).
Instagram
Instagram
+7
In short, while "playing favorites" is generally legal, it becomes illegal when it crosses into discrimination, public corruption, or violates employment law.

But having an interview for another job so loud everyone can hear you.

Ba--s!

I think he nailed it, too.

It always amazes me how people believe in the doom! The doom scrolling!

"March 26 CONFIRMED" Yeah right!

We're all in agreement to only work 4/5 days a week and only put forth 80% effort right? for those who havent quiet quit already please do so and stop taking this job seriously. stop slacking ppl, stop scheduling meetings, just ktlo because that is exactly what kkr and elt are doing.

https://www.inc.com/jessica-stillman/people-who-love-corporate-bs-are-bad-at-their-jobs-new-cornell-research-confirms/91314405

Will HR make him send an email with an official apology or will 3000 RND employees be quietly told to ignore him? Either way confidence is lost.

He fired the testers causing an explosion in escaped bugs. BH apologed for him.

His rolling reorg has slowed work so badly that he thinks T-TH will fix the mess he made. Will the reorg ever be code complete?

He put US RND teams under the direction of an inexperienced director in another country with a 5 hour time difference. How does that help in person innovation?

He split Viya 3.5 and 4.0 RND teams putting them in competition ki-ling any chance for a smooth customer upgrade.

He has not developed one working GenAI SAS model after two years of trying.

He gave up a 19 point lead in the NCAA tournament.

Anything else?

DXC promotes a poor performance culture.
If you do a great job there is no benefit to you. That then encourages the person to either leave or wind down their performance.
The poor performer only has to avoid a poor 3 rating. Just do enough... They will never leave.
You are left with a pool of poor performers..

Yes, I am “safe” but I am sick to my stomach how all this was handled but yet nothing in the news. This should be all over the news, FIS should be on a shame of wall for the way they handled things! Please someone who was affected…please call the news!

I can’t confirm whether every rumor going around is true, but I can speak to what many of us see and feel inside the team. There’s a clear sense of favoritism and decisions that don’t always seem based on merit.
It’s also concerning to watch the CEO receive multimillion‑dollar compensation while work is being sent overseas, reducing local opportunities and creating even more uncertainty for employees.
This isn’t about attacking anyone or repeating unverified claims. It’s about pointing out a culture where some people protect each other while others are left vulnerable, which naturally creates distrust and discourages those who work with integrity.
Fair leadership should focus on transparency, equity, and real accountability.

I have an odd question, and I'm not sure who to take it to. I've been with my team for about 10 months, we're spread all over the U.S. and a fairly small team. I have no one with me in the office I report to. I've noticed that questions about projects we're engaged with do not seem to be welcomed. I almost feel like I'm getting a sigh and an eye roll or a curt non answer when I ask them. In my defense, these are all ad hoc projects, and not like there are documented procedures I can refer to in order to answer for myself and the initial instructions given are always scant and haphazard. The no questions thing is just not a culture I'm used to and I'm wondering if there's any insight or suggestions.

If you ever needed proof that ethical leadership is the load‑bearing pillar of any functioning organization — especially one trying to execute strategy or implement AI — look no further than the heralded halls of 240G. It serves as a cautionary tale carved into the ruins of a once‑stable institution: the pillars are cracking, the principles are eroding, and leadership is standing beneath the rubble insisting everything is “on track.”

Ethical leadership is supposed to be the foundation that holds up culture, trust, and long‑term strategy. Without it, the entire structure becomes a hollow monument — impressive from a distance, but one strong gust of “cost optimization” away from collapse. And according to current and recent leadership experience, that gust arrives at least once per quarter.

In a healthy organization, leaders model integrity, transparency, and accountability. In the version described on this site, leadership treats principles like decorative columns: nice to look at, but purely ornamental. They talk about values while quietly chiseling away at them by their own examples. They praise employees for resilience while removing the very supports that make resilience possible. They speak of transformation as if it’s a noble journey, not a slow demolition of institutional memory.

This is where AI enters the picture — and where the absence of ethical leadership may become catastrophic.

AI can be a powerful tool for strategy execution, but only if guided by leaders who understand its impact on people, processes, and culture.

Without ethics, AI becomes a mechanized wrecking ball: efficient, emotionless, and devastatingly precise.
Imagine an AI trained on the behaviors described on this site by our current and former associates. It would:
• Automate layoffs with the enthusiasm of a demolition crew
• Flag “low engagement” as a structural defect
• Recommend replacing experience with cheaper concrete
• Generate leadership messages that say nothing but sound inspirational

Strategy execution cannot survive in a culture where the pillars are cracking and leadership keeps insisting the dust clouds are “a sign of progress.” AI certainly can’t.

The truth is simple:
You cannot build a sustainable future on eroded principles.
Not with strategy.
Not with AI.
Not with any amount of corporate spin.

Ethical leadership isn’t optional — it’s the only thing preventing the entire structure from collapsing on the people still holding it up.

You’re not viewed as an investment, you’re treated as a cost to be managed. That distinction is intentional. This isn’t leadership, it’s management in its most short-sighted form.

There’s no real vision here - only a fixation on near-term optics and personal gain. Anyone outside of that inner circle is reduced to a line item, something to optimize or eliminate in service of short-term efficiency metrics. The broader, long-term impact simply isn’t part of the equation.

They understand the job market dynamics. They know there’s a steady pipeline of applicants. That knowledge reinforces a mindset where people are interchangeable and, ultimately, expendable. It removes any incentive to invest in talent, develop people, or build something durable.

The cost-cutting decisions they make carry little immediate consequence for them personally, since they’re insulated from the actual work and its downstream effects. But those same decisions generate immediate, tangible upside for themselves, whether in compensation, perception, or internal positioning.

So the system sustains itself: extract value now, defer consequences, and treat people as replaceable inputs rather than assets worth investing in.

talking to friends in several departments and noticing a trend of some managers and directors using the current uncertainty and fear and they are taking advantage of having a longer leash than usual. i.e. the difficult ahole you try to avoid has somehow become an even bigger ahole and its going unchecked.

Accountability feels like it's going one direction lately when it comes to professionalism and borderline workplace abuse. to make things worse, some "leaders" are aware that it's hard for staff to even flag these management behavior issues when the company is already in crisis mode and we are all just trying to keep our heads down so we can keep paying rent and put food on the table.

I saw something that never would fly in any other workplace setting and people are either too concerned to cause issues or they are so beaten down they dont bother.

Hard to stay focused as it is. Some of these people in leadership roles are past professional training and need to be held accountable. if you're in a role where you can report things without getting into trouble, do it. that problematic and unbalanced dipsh-t becomes weakened when people come forward together.

If you haven't visited this site (WallStreetDiscriminates.com) you need to. Post to the site if you have a story to share. I'm working on drafting mine. Using these info from Forbes: Women account for roughly 30% to 35% of workplace bullies. Women bullies target women approximately 65% to 68% of the time, which is almost twice the rate that men bully women in the workforce. Workplace bullying : repeated mistreatment that can include verbal abuse, social exclusion, humiliation, and work sabotage.

Maybe that'll finally force leadership to step up their game and actually run the business instead of just extracting wealth.

The atmosphere changed after the layoffs became the norm and it hasn't come back. People are hesitant to speak up, to take initiative, and to trust. I keep waiting for things to feel normal again, but they never do. It's no surprise, though, since we all know more layoffs are always a possibility.

A rare sensible move, if true.

Fidelity appears to have made a business decision long ago in response to shrinking margins, automation, fee compression, and a more self-directed investor base. The problem isn’t the decision itself. It’s how that decision has been operationalized.
When a firm replaces professional judgment with opaque performance systems, “standards of care” stops being a value and starts being a slogan. The micro-management intensifies by design. Weekly one-on-ones. Additional check-ins. Maybe a "visit" from a market leader. More oversight framed as “support.” More and more metrics, but less trust.
I experienced this firsthand. It became a slow, unsettling realization that doing the right thing for clients and doing the right thing for the system were no longer the same thing. That tension doesn’t resolve, it accumulates. Over time, it wears you down. (Which I gather is the objective of a constructive discharge.)
Some people resign. Others try to hang on, only to find their work increasingly scrutinized, their judgment second-guessed, and their margin for error shrinking to zero.
It can be soul-crushing. (Which I think is the idea.) For those living it, the cost isn’t just professional, it’s personal.
Best wishes to everyone currently navigating that reality. If its any consolation, what that environment erodes isn’t talent, it’s morale and morale can be rebuilt quickly once you’re no longer inside a system designed to grind it down.

Bumped from @cf+1kh0ce72y, an on-point post.

Another issue, another meeting where leadership sits back while someone from our level gets asked to explain. The people who made the decision are once again nowhere to be found. It's always the same: blame rolls downhill and we're at the bottom. I hate it here.

Like others said, it’s just another way to get booted later. Je-king us around.

When did omnissa last paid 100% of the bonus? They just keep disrespecting whoever has decided to stay loyal to them the last year

What are the thoughts behind this transition? Do you think this is go move or bad move? What are the rumors on how quota is going to be and if we are getting a comp increase decrease or change to salary? Just any more information about this transition would be appreciated. Crazy times right now at Verizon.

The culture has shifted dramatically in the last two years. Managers with zero experience are making decisions that make no sense. You're not allowed to question anything or suggest better ways. The culture has turned from bad to worse. Every day I'm trying to find a way out. I think many here are in the similar boat.