#fear

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Several people in CT&O were let go yesterday, 4/22.

It came out in a manager's meeting, and a lot of names were brought up. Many had been with the bank for years and knew how things were "glued" together and were well regarded. There was mild panic about all of the knowledge they took with them, not that executive leadership cares.

"...they've confused efficiency with purpose, growth with meaning, and the elimination of people with progress." - Eric Markowitz


SAP Doomsday? Stock in freefall!!

SAP is in freefall because investors are reacting to weaker-than-expected cloud backlog growth and a softer 2026 cloud outlook, which raised fears that near-term growth is slowing. The selloff was also amplified by analyst downgrades/target cuts after SAP’s recent results. Is this doomsday for SAP?


Early move to Edmonton?

To make the transition smoother for employees and out of the kindness of their hearts, the MC is going to let Calgary people move to Edmonton early. How thoughtful and considerate of them.

I’m sure it has nothing to do with growing concern about number of Calgary employees who are actively looking to find a different employer in Calgary before 2028 comes around… No it must be how much they care about us!!!


I've worked in a lot of places but I've never felt fear like this

It's in the air. You see it in how people walk, how they talk, how they avoid eye contact with certain managers. Everyone is afraid. Afraid of being next. Afraid of speaking up. Afraid of a bad review that could lead to a PIP that could lead to being walked out. That's the culture at Exxon.


There's no "safe" anymore

You survive one round, you breathe a sigh of relief and think it's over. Then a few months later, another round happens. And another. Layoffs at Gainwell are like those horror monsters that keep coming back no matter how many times you think you've ki-led them. It's never really over.


The three pillars of USB

Let me describe how this place works. First pillar, punishment. Make a small error and they'll remind you for months. Second pillar, fear. Nobody feels safe. Everyone's waiting for the other shoe to drop. Third pillar, favoritism. Certain people can do no wrong. They get the promotions, the good projects, the protection. Everyone else gets the scraps. That's the culture. That's how they run things. And it's not just unpleasant, but also abusive. It wears you down until you don't even remember what normal feels like.


They are looking at you

Once certian projects are finished they will lay off the rest of that department and let L T I take over. Congrulations on working yourself out of a job. HR will mostly be replaced by a computer. Get used to talking to a machine. Middle management will be gutted. They won't be needed since LTI has their own management in place.

Projects will be downsized further and support groups dismantled and/or gone.

Operations you aren't safe. They are looking at you.

Anyone who is of retirement age will be next. If you have several complaints in your file you will also be gone. There won't be anyone left at cpchem except for a few in corporate. You are a number, remeber that. They don't care. They never did.


Does anything at work still motivate you anymore?

I can't think of a single thing. Take away the paycheck and the fear of being laid off, and there's nothing left. Why invest effort in a job that could vanish tomorrow, no matter how hard you work? Promotions are a thing of the past. No rewards for anything. Just constant threats hanging over your head.


Fear Is Not Leadership, It’s Failure

Leadership needs to get their act together.

Shouting, pressure, and creating a climate of fear in engineering won’t fix anything: in fact, it only makes things worse. Right now, people are acting out of fear instead of making rational decisions aligned with actual goals.

That’s how you end up with poor outcomes, short-term thinking, and teams that stop taking ownership.

If the goal is better performance, this approach is doing the opposite.


I am not interested to come to office. Is it me alone ?

After the recent layoffs and seeing my friends left with very little severence I am scared.
I started preparing more for interviews from Home and I am not interested even to show up in office unless there are critical meetings. I used to respect coming to office earlier.
The severance pack received by my friend is very low and I am also scared now with a single email any time my job is in danger. This layoff has collapsed entire morale of the unit and the human work culture.


BNY Morale Craters: Artemis II Reports a Corporate Systems Failure on the Dark Side of the Moon

The moment BNY announces it has “partnered with McKinsey for strategic realignment,” associates react with the same serenity NASA astronauts display when Mission Control calmly radios, “We’re detecting an unexpected structural anomaly. Please remain calm.” A hush ripples through the workforce. Teams icons flip to “Busy,” résumés begin auto launch sequences, and everyone suddenly remembers they have “a friend at JPMC” they should probably ping before atmospheric reentry.

Associates know the pattern. McKinsey doesn’t arrive to optimize joy; they arrive to optimize payload weight — by jettisoning crew.

Soon the PowerPoint Telemetry Flood begins: hundreds of slides filled with arrows, thrust vectors, and phrases like “strategic delayering,” “value capture acceleration,” and “synergy unlocks.” Employees translate these instantly: “layoffs,” “more layoffs,” and “brace for impact.”

Then the consultants appear — bright eyed, hyper confident, and unmistakably born during the iPhone 6 era. They interview associates about the very systems those associates built, taking notes with the intensity of NASA scientists documenting steps to repair a faulty toilet and drain my catheter. Employees smile politely while thinking, “This is how my mission ends — explained back to me by someone who still uses their college meal plan.”

Meanwhile, deep in the executive command module, RV and Dermie quietly cheer as the fear and panic meter spikes and the algorithm for layoffs without severance boots up, humming like a guidance computer that only calculates cost savings.

The BNY EC soon begins speaking fluent McKinsey-ese:

• “Zero based redesign” (cut everything)
• “Workforce rationalization” (cut everyone)
• “Operating model uplift” (cut differently)

Morale drops like a surprise space toilet malfunction in microgravity. Motivation shifts from “doing great work” to “avoiding being noticed,” “avoiding being too unnoticed,” and “finding a new mission before this capsule depressurizes.”

Right on cue, HR issues its standard transmission: all employees must refrain from unprofessional or derogatory comments — including emojis. Violations may result in corrective action up to and including termination. A sarcastic po-p or head ba----g wall emojis could apparently end your career faster than a failed docking maneuver.

By the time the consultants return to Earth, the BNY EC will declare mission success, and associates will quietly wonder whether the strategy ever involved improvement — or simply surviving another orbit on the dark side of the corporate moon.


Leadership Failures by U.S. VPs

The senior leadership in the U.S., particularly the VPs, routinely take credit for the work done by their Indian directors and senior directors. These VPs claim full ownership of projects that their Indian counterparts have actually planned and executed, with no acknowledgment of their efforts.
The VPs have no real understanding of how to effectively execute projects with resources in India and are completely dependent on their Indian directors and senior directors. Despite this reliance, they fail to give the credit where it's due, continuously taking the limelight for work they didn't do. The Indian leaders, who have built strong relationships with their counterparts and teams in India, know how to get the job done efficiently. The VPs, on the other hand, lack the necessary expertise and often sit back while others handle the real work.
Adding insult to injury, the VPs undermine their own directors and senior directors by pretending to be supportive of the India teams. They put on a show, claiming to protect these teams from exploitation, like avoiding late-night meetings, but in reality, they are the ones fostering a toxic environment where credit is stolen, and recognition is denied.
The directors and senior managers are too afraid to speak up, fearing retaliation or career damage. As a result, the VPs continue to bask in the glory of others' hard work, while the real contributors remain unnoticed and unappreciated.
This toxic culture of credit theft and the undermining of competent leadership is a long-standing issue that severely damages morale and fosters an environment of fear. If you’re considering a position here, be aware that your hard work will likely be stolen by those higher up the chain with no recognition for you.
Bottom Line: Look elsewhere if you want a workplace where your contributions are valued and credited, and where real leadership is respected.


Feeling hopeless every day

I do my best for T and been raising my family. In 2018 I got the hint that all things may move to Dallas as they started to let go off people in CA and did a force move to Austin. However, I didn’t. Every day, I wake up with no certainty, not owning anything, living with frustration and fear on what T might do next, as I watch talent go out the door. I feel like a failure in life unable to risk anything to achieve stability. Yes I get a paycheck paying bills but no happiness


Miserable Severance Payoff

"A payment in the amount of four weeks of base salary for your first year of employment plus one week’s salary for each additional year of employment, based on your most recent hire date, up to a combined maximum of 26 weeks of base salary."

I have just under 15 years of service to the company with numerous awards and promotions for good performance. Like many here, I have poured blood sweat and tears into my job going above and beyond for this company.

All those efforts are now in the dustbin and I am being shown the door with just 18 weeks of pay (which will be fully subject to tax).

As an older person with specialist skills, I am not easily going to find another similar role, if at all. The future seems very dark and uncertain and I am fearful


Why do we take all the overtime for normal, again?

It's not as if it will ever pay off. The only thing one can hope for is to be worked to the point of exhaustion, ditched and replaced. Working hard once made sense. Putting in some extra effort opened doors and created opportunities. It's pure masochism these days. What is it? Fear, habit, delusions that it might help you keep the job?


Situation outside our bubble is dire

I would otherwise be out without a second thought. I don't know what your experience is, but there are barely any jobs out there. I reached my peak burnout just as there are no options left. Well, I'll just tread water here until better times, trying not to go nuts from having to show up here every day.