#chicago

The air is terrible here in Chicago. Why haven't they closed the offices?! They care about our health right? Nope, swipe that badge!

Sprout Social is reducing its staff by approximately 20%, impacting around 260 employees. This decision stems from significant changes in the software industry driven by artificial intelligence. The company has recently focused on integrating AI into its social media management tools. This move aligns with a broader trend of tech companies restructuring due to AI advancements. The company expects to incur substantial pre-tax charges related to this workforce reduction.

Chicago, Illinois

https://americanbazaaronline.com/2026/07/15/sprout-social-to-cut-260-jobs-as-ai-reshapes-software-industry-484641/

Chicago Public Schools has announced layoffs to address a significant budget deficit. District leaders stated that these reductions were implemented after exhausting other cost-saving strategies. The layoffs are expected to save approximately $18 million. This decision comes as the district faces a $732 million budget shortfall. Further details on the number of affected employees were not immediately available.

Chicago, Illinois

https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/video/cps-announces-layoffs-in-attempt-to-close-732-million-budget-deficit/

Rep for Chicago suburbs here. I’m getting phone calls from 5 different Jewel stores today looking for service. F that. I’m not picking up and leaving my phone on for sh--s and giggles.

Love to see the multimillions being spent on the meetings in Chicago this week.

800+ employees got paid flights/food/hotels/cash & prizes/giveaways.

Good thing corporate and senior leadership makes lots of profit!

Oh wait?

They don't directly generate any income at their levels.

Good thing the Pharmacists and store employees are in the stores getting hours, pay, and benefits reduced to compensate for all their concur expenses.

Employees reading this remember, they don't make any money without you.

One way to hurt them.

Stop pushing vaccines and any other program they are talking to you about.

Your hard work will be celebrated WITHOUT YOU.

Heard the Chicago office was shutting down and some people were fired, offered severance or told to move to Plano or DC. Any confirmation?

Does anyone have access to read this article on HCSC executive salaries? Would love to know what Milton the master of Puppets gets for being on the board. I’m sure it’s far more than what most board members get.
We already know poor Maurice and Big O are overpaid and tanking us.

Groupon, Inc. announced a restructuring plan to become an AI-native company. The plan includes reducing up to 400 positions globally by the end of the third quarter 2026. Pre-tax restructuring charges are estimated at $7 to $13 million, primarily for severance. Annualized payroll actions are expected to generate $20 to $25 million in cost savings. Groupon raised its full-year 2026 Adjusted EBITDA guidance to $75 to $80 million.

Chicago, Illinois

https://www.stocktitan.net/sec-filings/GRPN/8-k-groupon-inc-reports-material-event-1ecafd00d145.html

Starbucks is laying off 300 corporate employees nationwide. This includes staff at regional offices in Chicago, Atlanta, and Dallas. The cuts primarily affect marketing, human resources, and supply chain management. No coffeehouse employees will be impacted by these layoffs. These actions are part of ongoing efforts to cut costs and simplify operations.

Chicago

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/corporate-starbucks-workers-in-chicago-hit-by-layoffs/ar-AA23vULj?gemSnapshotKey=GMB26B6CAA-snapshot-18&apiversion=v2&domshim=1&noservercache=1&noservertelemetry=1&batchservertelemetry=1&renderwebcomponents=1&wcseo=1

Chicago Public Schools (CPS) plans to lay off hundreds of teachers. This action addresses a projected $732 million deficit for the next school year. Federal COVID-19 relief funds, which previously supported staff, have now ended. The district has also seen a significant decline in student enrollment since 2019. CPS officials are exploring other funding sources to mitigate the shortfall.

Chicago, Illinois

https://chicagocrusader.com/hundreds-of-teacher-face-layoffs-amid-projected-cps-732m-deficit/

The CTA is implementing a new security strategy for its transit system. The agency recently laid off 159 contracted security guards. These guards were employed through Monterrey Security. Funding previously allocated to these guards will now be directed to sworn officers and other security resources. This shift aims to enhance safety for both riders and staff.

Chicago, Illinois

https://wgntv.com/news/chicago-news/cta-prioritizes-safety-with-new-measures-despite-layoffs/

Iron Galaxy Studios has cut an unknown number of roles. The company cited current market conditions for the decision. This follows 66 positions cut by the studio last February. The developer stated it cannot sustain its current team size. It is adapting to what it calls a "new normal" in the industry.

Chicago, Illinois

https://www.gamesindustry.biz/iron-galaxy-studios-announces-further-layoffs-unknown-number-of-staff-affected

any word on when they’ll bring back the temps they laid off a whole bunch at the Chicago location what is the reasoning behind this?

Chicago plant once again making news SSDD.
Who else remembers Hackett’s crocodile tears after the last NYT expose. And his promises that Ford culture would change?

https://www.hcamag.com/us/specialization/employment-law/ford-slapped-with-new-harassment-lawsuit-at-chicago-plant-with-troubled-past/568724

Retired for awhile just wondering if that addrtrss is still an AT&T facility? It was pretty lousy but convenient to train station.

Hearing that Chicago could be a hub. Anyone have any first hand info on it? Also is St.Louis still operational or completely gutted? I still see some folks there

A WARN notice was filed by H&M Fashion USA. This notice outlines plans for 181 employee layoffs. The affected staff work at its downtown Chicago office. The company filed the notice on February 20, 2026. Job cuts will commence on May 7, 2026.

https://whatnow.com/news/trending/multinational-fast-fashion-retailer-to-lay-off-181-employees-in-chicago/

A union has issued a warning regarding impending layoffs across municipal services. These layoffs are specifically expected to impact janitorial staff. The affected entities include Chicago police and fire stations, as well as other city buildings. This move indicates potential job losses for essential support workers within the city's infrastructure. The union's alert signals a significant concern for public service employees in the area.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/10/janitor-layoffs-to-hit-city-buildings/

I believe eventually either Saks or Neiman’s will close stores which are located near each other. Atlanta, Chicago, Beverly Hills, Tyson’s corner, and Bal harbor come to mind. It seems like this will be the next logical move. Whichever of the two has lower profits and higher expenses will be closed.

ALLCITY Network conducted another round of layoffs this week, eliminating newsletter positions across its network and reducing coverage of baseball and hockey in several markets.

https://awfulannouncing.com/online-outlets/allcity-network-layoffs-newsletters-baseball-coverage.html

Is CAT digital in Chicago 5 day RTO? Also how is the work culture and work life balance here?

Barnes & Noble will open four area stores in the Chicago area during first half of 2026, with the Loop flagship launching in June. The company opened 58 locations in 2025 and plan 60 more stores for this year.

You read this right. Stankey has a change of heart thanks to a close family member lobbying on behalf of chi-town. Call centers to expand on the northwest side. Field tech training to begin in February. Shred the obit because Chicago is back. RAN team still in flux. Townes to depart in q2 then comes further cons expansions. Happy Days!

Any ideas how long will Chicago and St.Louis continue?

No more ambiguity. I don't have to sit in this he-l hole of a position, worrying about the ax man chasing me anymore. I'm at peace. A chicken with its head cut off.

No but in all honesty, I moved out to Texas from Chicago for the position I worked. This place, no offense to the native Texas folk out here (you guys are generally pretty great), is a fu--ing shithole. I won't dig into the specifics of why, other than I genuinely can't wait to go back up north where you have a better quality of life. I will not miss this place.

I want to acknowledge that I'm aware of the inherent sensitivity to this subject. Not everyone is in an as fortunate of a situation and that's okay. I feel for you too. I grieved this whole ordeal way before it went down because of this site. I can acknowledge not everyone is there and for that, I want to give you nothing but the utmost respect and wish you nothing but the best.

Northern needs to take a hard look as to why they keep so many employees in chicago… major expense reduction can be realized by moving those administrative jobs to lower cost locations

Weiss Memorial Hospital - Chicago IL - 289 layoffs on Oct 25, hospital closed in August - https://www.pjstar.com/story/news/state/2025/10/13/illinois-businesses-report-waves-of-layoffs-according-to-warn-act/86609807007/

For the last couple of weeks there has been at least one armed security guard in the lobby in the Chicago building. He’s tall and wears regular clothes with a black jacket zipped halfway but if you pay attention you can see the outline of a we-pon on his hip. He always looks upset too which is hilarious because sir you’re the only one here packing.

The culture is in the dumps and leaders know it. But instead of listening to employees when we constantly give them the same feedback in these surveys they like to send and changing our leaders hide behind words that don’t mean anything. After the layoffs you feel like another shoe could drop whenever. People are smiling through it but you can tell they feel defeated. There’s something coming about our pto. I hear bits and pieces but something is about to happen with that.

If you work at HCSC you already know. If you don’t I won’t tell you not to take a job if you get an offer. The economy is bad and a job is a job. Just know what you’re getting yourself into by coming here. Almost none of what the recruiters say about this being a great place to work is true. I hear them every day lying to people and showing fake enthusiasm when they’re miserable themselves.

My leader is over talent and he runs talented people out of here on the regular. Recruiters have left. His admin left. The people who stay are scared to challenge him because he WILL send it up. And another leader who did challenge him got let go. Coincidence? It’s not just him though.

If anyone would listen I would tell the leaders to change the culture and stop always making these little snide comments about the office being empty. There’s a reason people don’t want to come in the office and it’s not all about money. Any mistake you make is about to be on the 10 o clock news because you’re going to get put on full blast on an email with a thousand people copied. The point isn’t to help you do your job better. They are super thirsty to make themselves look good while making you look bad.

If i really wanted to make these people look bad I could but they’d figure out who I am and I need my job. As soon as I find something better I’m out. If you all are reading this stop sending out surveys and holding town halls where you don’t say anything. Be a human being and stop treating us like we don’t matter but then always thanking us. Which is it?

And please get rid of the rent a cop. No one is trying to go to jail because of y’all.

Does requiring IBMers to move to major cities make sense for IBM? In Illinois, I can think of two significant IBM customers who are not located in big cities. It would make little sense to ask IBMers to live in Chicago.

Anyone else laid off in the Chicago corp office? Applied at a financial analyst job there, I don’t know what to expect.

Company: Diverse Facility Solutions, Inc.

• Date: September 30, 2025 (WARN report indicates 276, but company plans point to 191)
• Laid off: ~191 to 276

  The layoffs stem from the cancellation of its janitorial services contract with Chicago Public Schools. Though the WARN notice lists 276 workers being laid off, the company clarified it intends to lay off about 191 employees, transferring many others to a different union. There is also a legal concern: a law firm is investigating whether Diverse Facility Solutions met the required 60-day notice under the WARN Act before initiating the mass layoff. The company provides facility management and janitorial services.

as evidenced by employee reaction to the hiring of external executive personal ...

1. Employee Reactions: Resistance, Skepticism, and Morale Challenges
   Many long-time Wells employees — especially those outside of senior executive ranks — reacted with:

🧱 Resistance & Distrust
"They don’t get us": Employees felt that JPMorgan and Wall Street hires lacked appreciation for Wells Fargo’s traditional customer service culture.

The “new guard” was seen as imposing foreign priorities — profits, performance pressure, aggressive restructuring — without deep understanding of how Wells operates.

😐 Morale Issues
Many employees felt demoralized or marginalized, especially as:

Longtime internal leaders were pushed out or sidelined.

New hires brought in aggressive cost-cutting and cultural changes that made Wells feel less like a traditional bank.

Surveys and anecdotal reports suggested a decline in employee trust and loyalty during this period.

🧠 Talent Drain
Some long-tenured employees and mid-level managers chose to leave rather than adapt to the culture shift.

Others were forced out, leading to disruption and loss of institutional knowledge.

It's been a a month or so since last update. I would say not heavy travel, but all on just one jet. The prior weekly DC trips seem to have stopped.

N73M:

• A short loop flight (test?) in New England based out of Springfield, MA

Hasn't flown since Sept 8th.

N83M:

• Day trip to Ft. Lauderdale, FL
• Overnight to Costa Rica
• Overnight in Atlanta then day trip to Ft. Lauderdale.
• Day trip to Las Vegas
• Overnight trip to Austin
• 2-night trip to Chicago

N93M:

• No flights since last update. Still on ground in St. Paul.

Note: When the jets get sold and have new tail numbers I won't immediately know it. It is much like a car getting a new license plate when it is sold.