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Nowhere is safe in this economy but in over 7 years with PepsiCo my conclusion is this company is one of the most unstable I’ve ever been associated with. And unlike some that made cuts for somewhat plausible reasons - like industry downturns, natural disasters etc, with PepsiCo it’s their approach to prosperity: cover up for blatant mismanagement by senior leadership by slashing rank and file workers. Horrible business model.
An on point post by @a7+1kc2hcctd.
My team got hit, and we ended up losing two of our strongest people. In all honesty, if I was laid off instead of them, I'd understand. They've been here longer, they know their jobs, and they have so much institutional knowledge, and yet they're gone. We also have some low performers, and all of them are still here. Can somebody please explain the logic behind this?
I have been at this company for 5 months and it’s nothing like it was sold to be in my interviews….. the promise of hybrid work just to be forced back into office. The promise of an upbeat environment just for it to be dull most days. I’ve heard through the grapevine that so many people aren’t happy….. Granted it’s better than Wells in more ways than not lol, but Man!? Am I the only person hired in the least year that feels like I was lied to?
Oh, the irony.....
https://www.crn.com/news/running-your-business/2025/crn-women-of-the-year-2025-the-winners?page=14
But from her perspective, that all pales in comparison to her ability to always put people first, elevate rising leaders, empower countless women and leave every organization stronger than she found it.
I fired a bunch of people, I have no heart, no harmony and zero hunger... I just drove a company right off the cliff, so sure, give me a lifetime award! I even dug out my amazing expensive ugly dress that just screams Fuchsia!! I am hoping to get an invite to the Met Gala next year!
Hertz will enthusiastically fork over a six-figure salary for the prestigious privilege of “leading” people on Teams—usually squeezed somewhere between your mid-morning nap, your daily Starbucks pilgrimage, your hair appointment, a quick load of laundry, a light workout, a heart-to-heart with your work-from-home spouse, and—naturally—your semi-professional pickleball training.
All while the company is basically on fire. Why visit a location when you can watch the flames from the comfort of your couch? Besides, going onsite requires effort, pants, and possibly arranging a babysitter. Absolutely not.
And here’s the best part: you too can snag one of these do-nothing, add-no-value positions. The secret formula? Olympic-level a-s-kissing, a PhD in micromanagement, and the uncanny ability to write “notes” like you’re transcribing a Supreme Court hearing.
Wondering how to land one of these cushy roles? Easy. Hertz will invent a work-from-home, zero-deliverables, six-figure job just for you—as long as they like you. So warm up that nose, dust off those “Excel skills,” and practice looking extremely busy while accomplishing absolutely nothing.
Dreams really do come true.
When looking for a job, let the technology work for you. Set up job alerts on LinkedIn. When you see a job, post immediately because sometimes postings get pulled quickly. Bring your laptop with you to the office. Take a lunch and use that time to look for jobs. Know you will go on interviews and get ghosted. You will take various personality tests and get ghosted. If someone tells you they are interested, know they might ghost you. Know if you work with a placement firm and they find you a role that is not a good match, they will ghost you. Rejection is part of the process. I was not prepared for that.
It took me 7 months of rejection to find a new role. I applied for 3 to 7 jobs every week on average. In all types of industries. And in the end, I found a job that is remote (but with 2 offices within driving distance) that is paying me 35% more for less responsibility. The culture is far better. We like our employees here. I should have done this years ago.
Reposted from @aw+1kc48va7v to make sure more people read it. ALl credit goes to the OP.
I’m a TDP who’s been with AT&T for two years. I’m proud of the work I do, I enjoy my team, and I came into this program excited to grow here. But after two years of watching wave after wave of TDPs walk away, I’m convinced leadership needs to hear this whether they want to or not.
Here’s the reality from inside the program:
Most TDPs enjoy the work. Most enjoy their teams. And most came in valuing the opportunities AT&T could offer.
But the 5 day RTO mandate is the single biggest deal breaker, by a mile.
Not culture. Not pay. Not opportunities.
RTO. Five days. Every week.
The average commute for TDPs is 30–60+ minutes each way, often longer for those assigned to Dallas or Atlanta rotations. That’s 10–15 hours a week spent commuting just to sit on Teams calls we could’ve taken from home, using the same AT&T network we sell to customers for remote productivity.
And us TDPs see what leadership refuses to acknowledge:
Almost every competing employer offers hybrid or remote flexibility with higher pay. Once people finish the program, they leave. Not because they want to, but because staying means burning out.
Culture is not slogans or emails, you can’t speak it into existence. It’s what people feel every day.
And right now, we feel exhausted, unheard, and disillusioned.
That August CEO email laid out “values” that many of us don’t recognize in the company’s actions. The takeaway among TDPs wasn’t alignment, it was the sinking realization that leadership has no intention of returning to hybrid work. Morale tanked after that message and any remaining hope went with it.
If leadership wants to retain talent, real talent, the next generation of engineers, analysts, PMs, and leaders then you need to fix what’s actually broken.
TDPs aren’t leaving because the work is hard.
They’re leaving because the system is broken.
A rigid 5 day RTO policy in 2026, at a telecommunications company that literally sells the ability to work from anywhere, is not just outdated it’s self inflicted brain drain.
You don’t have a recruiting problem.
You have a retention crisis… one that’s absolutely solvable. And if you decide not to change then eventually you'll have no one under 40 working here.
Return to hybrid.
Respect people’s time.
Align actions with the culture you claim to value.
Because here’s the part leadership should really pay attention to:
If you keep the 5 day mandate, you will lose the majority of your young talent.
Not gradually, but all at once.
And I say this as someone who wants to stay. But I, like many others, will be exploring other options next year if nothing changes.
I know this forum may not be the “official” place to say this, but it is the only place where employees feel safe being honest. So I hope someone high enough up reads this and does something before this program and the talent pipeline it feeds collapses under the weight of decisions that never needed to be this rigid.
There is no business case for 5 day RTO.
There is no cultural case.
There is only the cost, and you’re already paying it.
Good luck with that. My manager is just writing people up to fire them with cause - and then replacing them with offshore labor.
Is this really happening?
Dan, this message is for you.
Restructuring is a strategic necessity, but the way it was executed has exposed a serious problem inside the organization. Many leaders protected low performers simply because they were friends or favorites, while top talent — the people who carried teams, drove results, and supported customers — were the ones eliminated.
We saw the same pattern during the last VSP: some of the strongest minds and most committed employees walked out the door. It’s happening again, and the impact is real. When the people who actually make the company successful are gone, the company doesn’t get stronger — it gets weaker.
Verizon cannot grow if it keeps losing its best people while keeping those who contribute the least. Our customers feel it, our teams feel it, and the culture feels it. Favoritism is not leadership, and it’s not how you build a high-performance organization.
If we want to restore trust, retain talent, and win in the market, we need accountability for how these decisions were made. And we need to start investing in and protecting the hardworking employees who truly move this company forward.
Congratulations Canon, every business school in America will be teaching the “Google Disaster of 2026” case study for generations to come. You will join the likes of Enron, the “New Coke” disaster of the 1980’s, and “Rank & Yank” at General Electric as classic stories of failure and controversy.
The essence of the problem is that the decision-makers do not know, or care, what goes on within the organization. They do not know the tools or use the tools. All they see is the price tag. Need a PP presentation? Secretary will do it. Need a report? Let the bottom feeders pull it. All they say is “collaboration this, collaboration that”. Dude, you can’t even send your own effing emails under your own name. Collaboration doesn’t mean let others do everything for me.
I respect the leaders of small businesses who are in the trenches everyday, hands-on with the daily operations, knowledge of all the systems and processes. Yes, these honorable, hard-working executives do exist, I’ve witnessed it firsthand during my career.
I am absolutely disgusted with how out of touch the decision-makers are at Canon. They don’t care, so neither should you. That’s the way I see it. When employees become apathetic, that’s when the business ceases to exist.
Directly from Google Gemini:
“While Google Workspace is a strong choice for small to medium-sized businesses and those prioritizing real-time collaboration, it may not be appropriate for all large corporations, particularly those with specific needs for deep, complex features, high-level compliance, or existing Microsoft infrastructure.
Potential Shortcomings for Large Corporations:
Feature Depth: Google Workspace applications, such as Google Sheets and Docs, may not be as fully-featured or powerful as traditional desktop applications like Microsoft Excel for complex calculations and specialized functions used by power users.
Existing Infrastructure & Compatibility: Many large enterprises are already deeply integrated into the Microsoft ecosystem (Active Directory, SharePoint, etc.). The cost and disruption of migrating to Google Workspace can outweigh the benefits.
Advanced Administration & Security Controls: While Google Workspace offers robust security and admin tools, Microsoft 365 is often perceived as providing more advanced, granular administrative controls and a long history of enterprise-level security built for highly regulated industries (e.g., finance, healthcare).
Industry-Specific Compliance: For industries that require strict regulatory compliance, the perception is that Microsoft 365 offers more comprehensive and established features, though Google does provide contractual commitments and capabilities to help address requirements like EU data protection laws.
User Inertia: Resistance to change from employees accustomed to the Microsoft suite (Outlook, Word, Excel) can be a significant hurdle to adoption, leading to potential training issues and reduced productivity during a transition.”
They’ve made the conditions so difficult that we either leave on our own or stay completely miserable, and at this point it feels entirely by design. They’re not even subtle or creative about it anymore. What’s next?
In my 15 years at PEP they've been beating into my head that "we've got to beat KO". Well, look at PEP vs KO stock performance over the last 5 years. PEP has no strategy and schmucks like Elliott can boss it around and tell it what to do. What a humiliation for clueless Ramon. If he has any dignity left at all he would resign. All he can do now is what Elliott tells him. Fire people, consolidate, cut brands. A schmo from the street have come up with that plan. Running a huge CPG company takes real smarts as Warren Buffett found out through his huge loss in Kraft Heinz. At PEP the entire ELT needs to go. They have proven they have no clue how to run a company like PEP. And Athina, my G*d, she has zero experience running strategy for a company like PEP, just like these Brazilian clowns that ran Kraft Heinz into the ground. They never learn. A clown show,
Why do we keep these big guys with fancy titles, big egos and broken personalities around?
These walking jokes doing menial work that can be done with AI could save some bucks to pay out royalties instead of being insulted by some hillbilly day in and day out.
Ge-z, they even avoid hiring competent people because they will get the job done compared to their endless string of lame excuses.
Is still this place being managed by anybody with integrity?
Maybe I’m naive, but I joined UHC in the BT era and my first town hall was one where he announced everyone was getting $50 to the UHC store to buy some swag. Then it was the new floating holiday. Just felt like the all employee meetings had energy and excitement and I felt like UHC was a great place to work.
Since BT’s death, it’s felt like a black cloud over the entire org. Like we’re in a free fall. Constant layoffs. Cutting employee benefits. RTO handled so poorly. Never accepting questions at the town halls and all employee meetings.
Was it always such a sh---y place to work, or was last December the catalyst for all this?
because honestly, he wouldn’t have risen to that level if he was.
It’s just that he is inept, and is horrible at strategic decision making. Which is probably the most important attribute a CEO needs.
You couple that ineptitude with a narcissistic personality disorder, and a complete lack of empathy, and you get what we have here.
How do you get to be an executive and not understand the golden rule of always tell the truth. People respect you when you are truthful and explain why painful things have to be done.
Guess who has z e r o respect? The coward who cannot even answer a question that many employees want to know. What products are considered core?
I was laid off a few weeks ago, typically a very stressful blow to life in this economy and job market. When I got the news, the stress and anxiety drained from my body almost immediately leaving me with a sense of calm and relaxation I haven’t felt since 2022.
Just a reminder to all of us during these uncertain times.
but glad we learned about the CFO's deadbeat brother I guess?
I would like to bring to your attention concerns regarding leadership practices and workplace conduct that may require investigation. There appear to be patterns of behavior that could potentially expose the organization to significant legal and financial liability.
Specifically, there are allegations of:
If you have experienced similar concerns, I recommend documenting your experiences and considering whether to consult with colleagues or seek appropriate guidance through proper channels. Collective action through established procedures may be warranted to address these workplace issues and offer you better protection.
I encourage anyone affected to follow appropriate protocols for reporting workplace concerns through private legal counselling, private advocacy groups or governmental organizations. This includes refraining from contacting HR or using the whistleblower hotline. They will identify the most traumatic method to attribute responsibility back to you.
Over and out
They give all these teams a deadline of 12/15 to get their MBO score in order. Many teams in our org had releases scheduled to address various vulnerabilities prior to this deadline. Now that date has magically shifted to 12/10 and the "MBO Score" which determines our year end review and RRP eligibility is frozen.
Who the he-l decided that giving these id--ts this much influence in the company was a good idea? Half the time their scanners aren't even working and they don't know why, so your MBO score will fluctuate between two wildly different numbers weekly, making planning not an option.
They must still be secretly working on stuff behind the curtain
Thanks Sprint. You are ki-ling another company.
For the last 6 months, I've seen so many people getting fired and all very senior management too. Like just boss is not fired. 3 people above them got fired. And the whole team is now getting renamed and all that. The new people even don't know the product and capabilities.
Some people were really great leaders and they were like in BNY for 18 years and so.
I don't think they're firing people in lower level but feeling nervous.
What a f ing joke, Drum on a Town Hole says i know what everyone is asking about pay, so to get rid of the question, if applicable to you be paid sometime in March dont know dates speak with jenny ragger. Youll fall of your chair if you listen to the replay.
Wtf doesnt know dates not interested, knows employees have voted up the issue to the top.
Who gives a shiite about the new brand and AI pipedreams when you dont give a f about employees.
This company is now trying to b5ll its way as a AI outfit, good luck..
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/technology/tech-news/att-ceo-john-stankey-says-made-mistake-when-told-employees-to-return-to-office-5-days-a-week-or-leave-but-the-message-was-not-wrong-instead/articleshow/125891727.cms
Folks laughed at me when I warned my coworkers that FISV was a $60 stock dressed up as a $230 fantasy after the NYSE move. The signs were obvious: manipulated optics, a dying point-of-sale market, hemorrhaging top talent from core banking, and an obsession with squeezing every last accounting trick to fake financial health. Fast-forward to today, the lipstick finally wore off. I had hopes for Mike, but his decisions speak for themselves: he’s following accountants instead of customers, chasing short-term numbers instead of long-term stability. Infinite Group is nothing more than a payroll-tax dodge to inflate EBITDA, a temporary illusion that collapses once the tax tools run out. By 2026, they’ll have nothing left to hide behind. This stock is heading to $30. As someone from a family of attorneys, I’m stunned no employee has sued for blatant misclassification designed to dodge IRS obligations. It’s astonishing they’ve gotten away with it this long.
As for Ryan C, don’t insult your associates by stating forming strategic alliance with infinite for best practices. Heck, many don’t know who they work for and who their manager is just a sweat shop, as long as the timesheet is submitted by Friday.
The start to this townhall really represents how things are in TS ( Global Payments and Trade).
It’s a mess. How many executives does it take to operate a slide deck and Webex? Apparently at least four.
Love how she actually said that our company does so much for employees. Gaslighting knows no bounds.
I hate that now everyone is an “associate” or a “leader”. Show me one manager that’s a “leader”, in my group and I’ll have a heart attack. Classifying everyone as manager and peasant is very blue collar of the firm.
Layoffs are now happening in the UK as the latest disaster to be of build and run teams is forced upon the UK business.
The patients are running this asylum.
SLT driving poorly thought out changes to hide the car crash that is onedev and pass blame down the food chain.
Contrary to popular belief, the layoffs did not start with the Sprint Merger, Covid, or change in leadership from John Leger to Mike Sievert. Instead, the demise of T-Mobile and subsequent layoffs started with the exedous of one employee. That employee was so regarded by Legere, Sievert, and the fellow C-Suite, that when DT came to town, they deferred to "them". All of the UC ideas, "them". Home Internet, "them". T-Mobile Tuesdays, "them" - the list is so long, say it with me, "them". That person is long gone - but the shell of "their" company - survives today. It is because of "them",
not Legere, not Sievert, not any of the active leadership, why any of us even have a job still - as without "them", we would have been bought my Marcelo in 2021, not vice-versa. To think we laid this MF off instead of promoting them to CEO....
Sometimes I don't know what holds it together
In a world of ‘tough as nails’ innovators, it’s difficult to be inspired by Grampa Stankeylegg to run your organization like you own it when he refuses to own his own mistakes. And who says “air cover” when referring to leadership and culture. Try setting realistic, simple priorities out of the gate on Jan 1 that reflect what a 150-year old utility company should focus on - product delivery and product quality. Fire 99% of L3 and above, they are just there for “air cover” to keep the board from finding out the company is just a hollow shell compared to its former greatness.
This company has lost there way it’s a good ole boys club they spend thousands on meetings that have no relevance just a big ole party and in same breath bi--h about a couple thousand dollars needed to keep operations going they do not upgrade there equipment are bring anything innovative into the industry they have lost hundreds if not thousands of years experience in the last few years due to cuts but keep top loading the boys club it won’t be long before they are irrelevant mark these words
No one at the rank and file level even seems to be aware of the cliff approaching in January. They just keep scurrying around like rats while the ship sinks. Amazing dissonance going on. 😂
I’m over the whole “we’re one big family” nonsense Capone tr--s out every chance it gets. The minute trimming heads boosts numbers, whole groups vanish like they never mattered. The slogan is just a guilt trip to keep us quiet while they cash in. There’s nothing family-like about any of it.
I used to enjoy working here, but that faded over a decade of slow decline. None of this happened suddenly like some people like to claim. It was a long and steady erosion from one bad decision after another. I miss the Dell that used to feel like a real community.