#morale

Something changed. Managers used to be fine. Now they're toxic, yelling, pitting us against each other. Six years here and the last two have been awful. No idea how some of these people still have jobs.

Things were okay until about six months ago, when a new manager showed up and everything shifted. He has clear favorites, people he protects no matter what, while the rest of us get nothing but criticism and constant pressure. The atmosphere has turned toxic in a way you can feel the moment you walk in, and people who used to talk and help each other now mostly keep their heads down and try to stay under the radar. When layoffs first became a probability, I was petrified, but lately I catch myself almost hoping for it, because at least then I would have a reason to leave without it feeling like my fault, and that is honestly where I am now.

Downgrading again of credit rating. Poor results. Low employee morale. Late implementation of integration activities (all sales were supposed to be on new CRM by April now it is only the US). Moving people to low-cost location but they can’t or won’t recruit in time. CFO who presided over millions of loss in LEX. Confusion over new organisation. No clear communication of who is doing what and new process. Unethical practices with suppliers and no paying them. CMO flying all over the world for no reason and yet no inflation raises for anyone. Inconsistent AI strategy. Unclear compensation plans. Stock declining. There may be other things ….

Makes me sick go go on LinkedIn .... and seeing sad-sack Verizon RIF victims “open to work” and not even able to get a G D interview …. intertwined with Verizon execs “Proud to have achieved Diamond Club in the 2025 Verizon Business Group Recognition Program” “Verizon is so good to me” “ Honored and thankful to be a 2025 Diamond 💎 Club Award winner with Verizon Business 🙌” ugh. Just ugh. Would be nice to have a g d job k thx.

I owe you all an apology. Back when those whispers started flying around about big cuts hitting end of Mar, I told people flat-out there weren't going to be layoffs. I was trying to calm nerves, keep morale from tanking, because I genuinely didn't want to believe it . I was wrong. And I'm sorry for giving anyone false hope or making the shock hurt worse when the news landed.

The Frontier stuff closed in Jan, and yeah, the overlap redundancies are real. Then you have got the whole Opex transformation push and AI rolling in faster than anyone expected, quietly eating away at roles we thought were safe. It's not rumors anymore. it's happening peeps.

To everyone who's been let go already, or who's still waiting for the axe, or watching teammates pack up boxes, I'm gutted for you. This su-ks. Really su-ks. Wishing you nothing but the best moving forward: quick landings, decent severance if you got it, and doors opening somewhere that values what you bring. Seriously, good luck.

I'm a natural doer having business results in mind and feel like often times employees at all levels get stuck in overanalyzing minute details that ultimately don't matter toward making a decision. I don't usually have the authority to drop the hammer on these people overanalyzing, but I just want to explode when they go into analysis paralysis. Thankfully I can hide my face on videocam when these people are arguing over minute details or thinking about problems in ways that don't make sense. It's such a morale ki-ler for those of us wanting to get things done.

I've been working long enough to know the difference between a good manager and a bad one. The bad ones are everywhere sure. But the really awful ones, the ones who make you question everything, I found more of them in five years at 3M than in all my other jobs combined. Something about this place attracts them.

Been here long enough to remember when people actually wanted to work here. When leadership led and careers meant something. That place is long gone.

The people at the top made choices that slowly ki-led the culture. Now we just endure instead of feeling part of anything.

New hires show up bright eyed every time but give it a few months and that look fades. That's how long it takes them to figure out how things really work. The rest of us by now know not to give extra. Company will forget you the second it's convenient.

This is our third post discussing Walmart layoffs. We are gratified that our first two posts have proven to be correct and consistent with our Business Intelligence and data gathering processes.

We still think the chances of involuntary separations in the period starting 3/9 through 4/8 is elevated from less than 10% up to 30%. Two factors drive this prediction, but the factor that impacts associates right away is the performance evaluation process. Associates are nervous and they know even if their work has been acceptable, Walmart can and will give out surprise poor performance evaluations as a way to move undesirable associates toward the door. Some will simply quit and that’s a cheap solution for Walmart. Management knows they can use the eval process to move associates out without a WARN notice, so eval time is a good period to start to thin the heard.

After 4/8, all the planning meetings, budget reviews, goals & objectives, reorg and prioritization events will be wrapping up and it will be time to execute on those decisions. Projects to put AI in place to benefit profitability and reduce personnel costs will start and staffing decisions will be firmed up, and unfortunately, started. May has typically been a favorite time for Walmart to do layoff activity and there’s no reason to believe this year will be any different, especially with a new CEO wanting to show a major uptick by the end of Q2.

Regarding the tech mess, Walmart continues to pay the price for bad decisions in the past, such as questionable H1B activity, reliance on contractors, bringing in tech managers and executives who have not delivered, and a host of associate morale and trust issues.

We suggest everyone review Doug’s comments on the future of AI. There’s several nuggets of truth in there and Walmart sees AI as a way to impact operational costs in a positive direction and improve productivity.

We know some form of the following question has been asked to all executives: “How fast can you implement AI solutions and how much headcount will you free up?”

Don’t agree with us? Tell us why.

Just joined the bank and surprised about how messy operation is.. This company is a sinking ship!

The cuts have created major disruptions that no one seems interested in fixing. Entire teams are crippled, many managers can't get up to speed (unsurprisingly), and critical gaps in roles and workload go completely unaddressed. Was there ever a real reorganization plan? Pleasing the markets was never a sustainable long-term strategy.

Another round of layoffs at Verizon is again being presented as part of the company’s transformation. Employees have heard this language before. Each cycle promises a reset and a stronger future for the business.

At the same time former CEO Hans Vestberg has moved into an advisory role at Consello. Like many executives before him he has transitioned from leading a major telecom operator into a position where his relationships and experience in the industry become the product.

For employees watching these cycles repeat the contrast is hard to miss. Workers face uncertainty and job losses while leadership often moves on to new opportunities within the same industry ecosystem.

Telecom is entering one of the largest investment periods in decades. Artificial intelligence data demand and digital infrastructure are reshaping the industry. The real question is whether Verizon is positioning itself to lead that next phase or simply managing costs while others shape the future.

Employees have heard the transformation message many times.

At some point the question becomes simple.

Dan, can you hear them now.

I see people who seem genuinely happy with their work to this day and I don't get it. I can't imagine waking up and feeling that way in the new Dell. I used to feel that way years ago, but so much has changed that now I'm just showing up and counting down the hours most days.

The only smart move is to be on the lookout for something better.

It seems that every day I'm hearing that another person left voluntarily. On top of that I'm not seeing any new names coming in for backfill, or even job postings to try and bring someone in.
It just feels like we're at the breaking point, and I dont know how to recover.

I am so sick of all of the non-stop change that isn't improving a g**mn thing around here. I'm sick of being paid below market, considering all of the licenses I'm required to hold to do my job. I'm sick of HQ people punting every question to another department because they don't know the answer and their leaders don't know what the word accountability means. I'm tired of being the whipping post for every FA that is having a bad day or is told to do something they don't feel like doing.

Therefore, I'm going to su-k it up for just a few more years until I reach the Rule of 70 and can keep my LP units (for whatever they're worth), then I'm out. There are plenty of firms in this industry that will pay far better than Edward Jones.

I hope that every last bit of this Enterprise Reimagined backfires in spectacular fashion and leaves PP/DC and the rest of the ELT that's ruined so many lives on the hook to figure out how to run a firm without any US employees that give a chicken fried f**k about the future of this company.

I'm done. Almost 20 years of my life reduced to hating the place I go to every day to barely break even.

After 20+ years at Verizon, I’ve never seen morale this low or trust in leadership this broken.

Yesterday’s EMEA call was a brutal reminder of where things really stand. Yet today we’re all expected to log in, smile on calls, and carry on as if nothing happened.

What makes it worse is the constant stream of polished messaging from management and our Exec team that feels completely disconnected from reality. We’re told everything is about “transformation,” “strategy,” and “opportunities,” while RIFs happen all the time and the remaining staff are expected to absorb the work.

I feel like we’re being gaslighted.

Everyone knows AI is coming and it will fundamentally change large parts of the workforce and remove even more jobs at a rate much higher than we've known before. Employees aren’t stupid. Most of us have decades of experience and can see exactly what’s happening.

What’s astonishing is the apparent belief from leadership that the workforce will just nod along and accept whatever narrative is being presented.

After more than two decades here, I’ve never seen this level of distrust between employees and leadership. People can deal with tough decisions and difficult change. What they struggle with is the feeling that the truth is being managed rather than communicated.

Right now, the biggest gap in this company isn’t technology or strategy. It’s credibility.

I was w/AMN healthacare for 3 years as a certified remote video medical interpreter. I held consistent 5 star rating, so much so that every year my wages were raised, but today , about 200 of us received a bullsh-t internal email , an email that once read , dissapeared. I thought this was peculiar , but never thought it was a worse case scenario.The email was intenionally vague,it said that we were to place in "meeting " status ..I was working right till the time, then after finishing the call, i placed my self on " meeting" i waited along w others in the teams app, suddenly w/o warning , some collegues w sudden sadness starting writing they are letting all of us go...I couldnt believe it ! No , than you, nothing just a lame email afterwards, It was quite sad , we couldnt even say bye to our collegues.I will miss you guys ! AMN behaved like pu----s... I hope that company,

Anyone see the disclosures of the C suite pay? Some notes

1. GK got about $17MM. AC $19MM. Note GK’s pay went up 60%!!!
2. They were reimbursed about $150k for personal financial planning.
3. Gunjan was reimbursed $300k for her housing here, commuting back to her home state and personal use of private jet
4. AC still got $8k of personal home security paid for
5. Jodi got a THREE MILLION DOLLAR retention bonus

Meanwhile everyone else gets a 3% bump tops, 20% no raises and they actually wonder why trust in the MC is low? Kinda funny actually.

https://d18rn0p25nwr6d.cloudfront.net/CIK-0000036104/39f53130-145f-4bed-bfad-5ad9c29f97e8.pdf

I'd be settled somewhere new by now, instead of sitting here praying my number doesn't get called. I don't even recognize this place anymore, and I know it's just going to get worse.

Funny, I accidentally clicked into a layoff thread from 2019 and started reading. Didn’t realize it was old. The post very similar and relatable to today. It’s been bad for a long time.

The stock is at a multi-year low today of $118.40. No leadership, poor morale due to no leadership and no competitive advantage. The best and the brightest are jumping ship to competitors or just outright leaving as they are making less money year over year. WTF are we doing? There is No Plan coming from the Executive Team. There is poor messaging coming from the Executive Team. The Executive Team has negotiated their own severance packages through 2029. The Executive Team needs to go now.

I'm fed up of management through fear. You can scare people into doing two or three jobs for the price of one for a while, but not forever. Eventually we just stop giving a damn and go back to doing just our original job. I 'm at the point where I don't give a damn if they fire me or not. I'm just done.

I've been working here for two years and still don't understand how they keep the lights on. The people running this place make decisions that hurt the business constantly. They ignore what customers want, run off good staff, and act surprised when sales drop. It's a miracle we're still around.

I've lost count of how many layoff rounds I've seen. They just keep coming. There's no finish line, no moment where they say okay we're done. It's constant. The cuts keep coming and we're just supposed to be okay with it? We're supposed to keep on working like everything's fine? How did we get here?

Three meetings so far today. Every single one, people staring at screens or out the window. Nobody wants to be there. Nobody is paying attention but looks like nobody cares either. What's the point??

Toxic place. Work that means nothing. Long days. Constant stress. Never feel safe. Old tech. Nowhere to grow. Raises that don't keep up. Bad bosses. Same thing every day. Skills going nowhere. What am I missing?

Seriously disgusted.

How do they justify spending company dollars on trips to Disney World when thousands are being laid off?

You don’t hate this company enough.

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/adamfalat_healthcareleadership-digitalhealth-healthtech-share-7437488519410880512-_Y0L?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_ios&rcm=ACoAAAH2E40Bnd7RAziuQBDoENHzgN671-AUNTg

150 Years of History, 0 Years of Perspective

I’ve been trying to process the absolute disconnect of AT&T’s "celebration," but the more I think about it, the more insulted I feel.

Today, leadership stood up and proudly touted a $250 billion infrastructure investment. A quarter of a trillion dollars. It’s a staggering number meant to impress shareholders and the media. But for the people actually building, selling, and supporting that infrastructure? We got a sticker and a stale cookie.

The "Grand" Celebration Breakdown:

The Investment: $250,000,000,000 for the network.

The Employee Reward: A single cookie and a sticker (and only if you were lucky enough to be at a "core" location).

The Message: If you aren't a piece of hardware or a fiber line, you aren't worth the investment.

It is genuinely embarrassing to work for a company that talks a big game about "culture" and "people-first values" while treating a once-in-a-century milestone like an afterthought. 150 years is a massive achievement, yet there wasn't even an attempt at a commemorative item or a gesture that felt permanent. A cookie is gone in thirty seconds; a sticker belongs in a middle school classroom.

The Downhill Slide

We’ve watched the employee experience erode year after year. Milestone anniversaries: once a point of pride in this company, have been gutted. To see them brag about billions in spending while failing to provide even a basic token of appreciation to the global workforce is the ultimate "read the room" failure.

We aren't asking for a slice of the $250 billion. We’re asking for respect. We’re asking for a culture that actually acknowledges the human effort behind the numbers. Instead, we got a sugar crash and a piece of adhesive paper.

AT&T isn't a "family" or a "culture" at this point, it’s just a giant machine that forgot it’s powered by people.

Is everyone store high stress, bad vibes, toxic energy?

I am so sick of the absolutely toxic disgusting leaders that work here. I just spoke with my manager and I got 0 for my yearly raise, and only a minor stock bump. I am working harder than I ever have, and yet all they ask for is more. Is anyone else planning on quiet quitting? Why should I strive for excellent when my pay is mediocre?

I just heard a commercial that made me want to puke. AT&T is promoting their 150 year anniversary. DJ said how proud he was of his father's 35 year career with AT&T and how he's been through massive technological adventures. What a joke! Stinky wants you out in less than five years; no such thing as long-term employees anymore. Zero loyalty. Fu-k AT&T!

Feeling Optumistic yet?

Was a good leader. Stayed off my back and allowed me to perform. Thanks Sycamore for laying off the good ones…..

I hate the fact that even a record-breaking game launch can't save us from layoffs. What does it take, then? What the fu-k does it take not to get shown the door?

I’ll be honest, I’m struggling with my org at Oracle right now. We’ve lost so much talent and product knowledge lately that I feel like I’m just 'running the show' rather than leading. The people who stayed are totally checked out. They do the bare minimum and won't engage unless there's a promotion or hike on the table. Had to force them pushing my leads to extract more work. I know things are broken, but I’m at a loss on how to actually fix the culture and get them motivated again. Innovation is not happening at ground level. Employees are completely dissatisfied.

The morale here has hit a new low with all the layoff rumors circulating. Initially, the team was energized by AI initiatives, but it quickly turned into internal fighting over recognition. Since those 'wins' never actually materialized, everyone has just given up. They've dropped the ball on their work because they don't see the point in competing for nothing.

With AI tools available, its just copy paste happening without a thoughtful delivery. Everyone fears on danger of providing holistic solution. Had to layoff a bunch and rehire often. Product quality going to trash. Very difficult to hire a quality candidate under specific budget, Train them and Lose them.

Let’s avoid spreading rumors about layoffs- it can be really demotivating and stressful for everyone.

So whoever has been doing this for past few days- please stop!

And nobody should be flippant about it. We all have very good reasons to be anxious.

Has been the biggest joke of my life. And some of these managers are quite literally the slimiest. I can’t wait to see their sappy LinkedIn post when they lose their jobs, it’s coming.

Keep getting letter after letter telling me insurance o longer covers this and that, have to book scan though 3 rd party, meds going up , some no longer covered. Just got letter saying all our Memorial Herman facilities and doctors are in jeopardy. Exxon changed to one provider, no more choice, went up on premium, try to keep you from going to any emergency room by making you pay 10-20 percent of the entire bill, and then tailored a cheap coverage plan that only help the company... after almost 30 yrs , this is about as low as I seen from the company, Billions in profit and it saves money by cutting from its employees, the new norm..... can't wait GTFO..... I'm embarrassed to even say I work here anymore. Don't come to work for this place, it will su-k the soul out of you and you will be miserable.