#demotion

WIthout doxxing myself, the gist of the story is that after a reorg, the incoming management are power grabbing shitstains that blatantly grabbed the work that was done, virtually demoted a few people by bringing in their own people (the demotion was by way of reduced responsibilities and effective sidelining). Some emails with leader(s) exist that can clearly be construed as retaliation for speaking up in the face of wrong plus witnesses. Though not all them might speak up fearing for their career at Citi but one or two definitely will. Power grab was repeated without repurcussions

I know HR is useless and will either protect and/or try to brush it under the carpet. Don't want to pursue outside legal options. What other inside resources exist? Obviously, the shitstains don't care about any consequences as they have gotten away with this before.

Layoffs coming. Also some bs called harmony where peoples title gets knocked down a level or two.

In this job market, that would have been a lot better than being laid off. I'd trade any of you demoted folks in a second.

Last week many were told they could work from home.

Now I'm facing going back in to the office knowing several teammates are gone and I've been demoted.

My new team knows I was demoted. None of them were even impacted, so it feels like they cannot relate. I don't want a pity party, but it's very embarrassing for me.

How are you all coping with this?

I sympathize with leaders and associates that have been hit with demotions.

As a part of ER, does demotion mean lower title, lower salary grade or reduction in current salary?

Demoralized by your peers feeling forced into accepting VSPs? Shocked by the ISPs? Me, too.

Now the additional layer as been revealed - the quiet demotions. Make no mistake, this is quiet firing. They want to make people miserable so they leave on their own accord and they don't have to pay severance. It also helps with their PR so they don't have to make it look like they laid more people off. This way, they can bring in younger, cheaper talent (and offshore and outsource more and more) and stay out of the headlines. This is "Consultant 101."

It's not just BCG, though. In case you hadn't noticed, they hired a bunch of partners from McKinsey & Company to run the show - David Chubak, Ryan Littlemore, Hasan Malik - all from McKinsey. I'm sure there's more I'm missing.

Then you have Nancy Killefer, Luis Ubinas, Byron Auguste - all on the Advisory Board and from McKinsey.

Don't know who McKinsey and Company is? Go look them up. They're the sc-m that both helped big pharma market opi--ds while simultaneously advising the government on how to combat the opi--d epidemic - using the same team of people. They are predators. They have no conscience. This is who is running the firm now.

I am so disappointed in the partner group as a whole. They should never have allowed this to happen. I hope they are ashamed.

I really thought that after this phase that I would find reason to believe in the firm again. The opposite happened. It’s clear to me that this is not a place I want to work.

Even though I’m safe, my faith and trust in leadership is broken forever. The way they kept demotions/grade drops under the radar intentionally and their handling of the six-month layoff process generally is inexcusable and riddled with unforced error after unforced error from the disastrous, word salad, tone-deaf firm town hall to the callous superficially transparent corpo comms.

The results are also a complete failure. I don’t see any efficiencies gained, just unnecessary confusion with all the middle management boneheads still around bloating the org chart. And the people they decided to promote? Nearly all are brown nosers or obviously unqualified.

On top of that i no longer feel any job security. What’s to stop the firm from arbitrarily dropping my pay a year or six months from now? Now that leadership has the taste of blood, it seems they like and will return for more. I don’t want to be here when that happens and I don’t have to be.

I didn’t think it would come to this but I’m going to start actively looking. The firm can do what it wants and I am sure will be just fine but I want no part of this new culture where employees are seen as less than human cogs to be broken, switched around internally or cast aside on management’s whim. No thanks.

What has this company become. I’ve given 19 years of my life to it and how do the big wigs repay me? A choice between termination or demotion. There aren’t words big enough to express how disappointed I am. So much pain and sadness.

259 ISP’s. Not exactly the “100” ISP’s they told us to expect. For those who said yeah but they said it would be 100 “roles”. BS. That was just corporate speak to disguise the real numbers. If they are so transparent, how come they didn’t publish the number of demotions??? From this thread, it seems like there have been quite a few… Yet another way to disguise the numbers.

What I still do not get, if these layoffs were truly about efficiency, and not about maximizing profits as I repeatedly heard, is why so many people were forced to take demotions, lower role salary grades, and even lower salaries just to stay with The Firm. If we VSPd and ISPd this many people solely for efficiency purposes and not for profit maximization and the salaries of GPs, certainly the people that survived would have an increase in their salaries as a reward beyond being thankful they kept their employment. No one has ever been worth a $20M salary, and certainly not now during these financially difficult times.

Below is an email script to use to document important information to protect your rights.

If the company responds to any of these questions with “Please see the FAQs,” acknowledge that you are aware of the FAQs and would like a direct response to your situation in this email.

Thank you for your recent communication regarding the proposed change to my position. Before I make any decisions, I’d appreciate some clarification so I can fully understand the situation.

Could you please provide:

1.  Whether positions with my current title will continue to exist at the company, or if the role is being eliminated entirely.
2.  More detail on the factors used to determine my selection for demotion.
3.  How declining the demotion would affect eligibility for severance benefits.
4.  Any policies or documents that outline how the company is approaching these changes for employees in similar roles.

I’ve valued my time with the company and want to make an informed decision. Having this information will help me better understand my options.

Please respond promptly as I am working to meet your deadline of 9/1 and require this information to make an informed decision.

Thank you in advance for your assistance.

Day 2 of the Reimagining. Share any stories or updates regarding your day.

Shocked and saddened to hear of demotions and pay reductions while ELT continues to rake in record profits for "Needs Improvement" results. Shame.

ISPs, Demotions still happening today?

I have been told that the firm will not be sharing any information regarding the # of layoffs, demotions, etc. And neither will divisions. In other words, no one will truly know the full scope of the impact. Is that typical? It angers me that we aren't being told the impact of these changes.

and while we're on this subject..anyone know how many jobs were 'shipped' to India in the past few years?

Know Your Rights in a Demotion / Reorganization (Missouri Employees)

There’s a lot of rumor right now about upcoming demotions being used as a cost-cutting tactic. Some of you may be wondering: If I’m offered a big downgrade and I refuse it, am I considered “fired” or “quit”?

The truth: It depends how the company handles it, and how severe the changes are. Missouri courts have looked at this exact issue many times. Here are some important cases:

⸻

Key Missouri Cases
• Kimble v. Division of Employment Security (2013)
An IT manager’s role was eliminated; he was offered a car sales position. He refused. The court said this counted as a voluntary quit without good cause because he didn’t try to preserve his job and the pay loss was “speculative.” Result: No unemployment benefits.

Takeaway: If you refuse a different role, the state may treat it as a resignation unless the demotion is clearly unreasonable.

•   Mickles v. Maxi Beauty Supply (2019)

A manager was demoted by text to a clerk position. She quit. The court said she had good cause to quit—the demotion was unfair and handled poorly. She qualified for unemployment benefits.

Takeaway: How the employer handles the demotion (fair process vs. unfair surprise) matters.
• Sokol v. Labor & Indus. Relations Comm’n (1997)
Employer changed contract terms; worker refused to accept. The court said this was a discharge, not a resignation.

Takeaway: If the company outright says “You’re done if you don’t accept these changes,” that’s a termination.

• Von Hoffman Press v. Industrial Comm’n (1972)
Worker declined being forced into full-time after working part-time. Employer fired her. Court ruled this was a discharge.

Takeaway: If they change the deal and then end your job, that’s not a voluntary quit.

• Armco Steel Corp. v. Labor & Indus. Relations Comm’n (1977)
Worker declined a transfer with a 44% pay cut. Court found she had good cause to refuse and qualified for unemployment.

Takeaway: Major pay cuts are recognized as good cause to decline.

What this means for you

1. If you accept the demotion → You remain employed, but you may have little legal recourse later.
2. If you refuse → It matters whether:
   • The company terminates you (that’s a discharge).
   • Or they frame it as you “resigned” (that’s voluntary leaving).
3. Unemployment eligibility hinges on whether the demotion was so significant (pay cut, loss of prestige, unfair handling) that a “reasonable worker” would quit. Courts will look at that.
   1. Document everything → How the offer was made, the pay difference, responsibilities lost, communications with HR/management.

Bottom line
• Not every demotion refusal = “resignation.”
• Missouri courts do side with employees when the change is drastic, unfair, or essentially a way to push you out.
• If you’re faced with this, don’t just walk away silently. Make the company say whether you’re terminated. That distinction matters for unemployment and legal rights.

Disclaimer: This is general information based on Missouri case law, not legal advice. If you’re directly affected, consult an employment attorney.