#severance

Posts mentioning hashtag #severance

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To unionize. If not now, when?

Yesterday’s announcement is a devastating, cold reminder: it doesn't matter how hard you work, how much you contribute, or how long you've been here. At the end of the day, we are just lines on a spreadsheet. The only way to change the power dynamic is to have a real, collective, and legally recognized voice at the table.

That's what a union is.

It’s not about "us vs. them." It's about having a binding contract that guarantees:

  • Clear, fair, and seniority-based layoff procedures.
  • The right to bargain over severance packages.
  • A real say in the working conditions that impact our lives.
  • Protection against the "at-will" system that leaves us completely vulnerable.

If we don't have a seat at the table, we will always be on the menu. This is the moment. This is the wake-up call.

This isn't about hope anymore. It's about leverage. If not now, when?


Layoff Policies / Procedures / Docs

Anyone knows if we have any docs that govern layoffs? A policy or procedure doc? Guideliness? Somewhere? Something that outlines the rules (e.g., severance policy, cobra, placement help, resume building help, etc.) Do you maybe know where I can find the darn thing as internal searches are not returning anything. Copilot crashed when I asked even though I know I should not search for it as they are probably monitoring it.

Any tips would help.


SO… LAYOFFS hit Tuesday. HR says my final day is HALLOWEEN. 🎃 That’s right — my job literally ghosted me.

Now I need a COSTUME that fits the VIBE: something between “Corporate Casual” and “Emotional Damage.” Otherwise, I need a costume that says “spooky, broke, and still pretending to care.” 👻🎯

Ideas so far:
• 404: Job Not Found
• Spirit Halloween Employee
• A Target logo bleeding out
• “Ghost of Corporate Past”
• Red shirt + name tag: “Ex-Targeted Employee”
• A walking Clearance Tag

It’s Friday, I’m still here, but mentally I’ve clocked out! 🧠💀 Hit me with your best ideas before I show up in a box labeled SEVERANCE PACKAGE.


Will they make any last-minute changes to severance?

Is that something that could happen? My mind keeps coming up with all the worst possible scenarios, and that is the one I cannot stop thinking about right now. It actually makes a bit of sense if the goal is to cut costs, since cutting payouts for those leaving would fit that goal. Please, someone tell me this has never happened.


Next Week (Oct 29, 2025)

I work in HR, and I can say with 99.9% confidence that the New York and Los Angeles layoffs are scheduled for Wednesday, October 29, 2025.

Before you read the following, know that yes, it's that bad! - Most line managers still have no idea what’s coming. Only a few will find out what’s happening on Friday afternoon or early next week. Yes, even some SVPs and EVPs have been kept completely in the dark about what’s happening to their own teams. This might be because they are also being laid off and haven’t been told yet, or due to concerns about leaks. It also shows that they hasn’t had much control over the process this time. The new Skydance leadership seems to dislike how, in previous rounds at paramount, some staff had early knowledge of what was coming, so this time they’re keeping everything very close to their chests. - Yes, there is still very much a use and them.

I know for certain that I’m being laid off. I found out by accident when I was mistakenly sent a spreadsheet listing my name. (I felt humiliated) Later, my manager confirmed it was accurate and told me I wasn’t supposed to have seen it. I was officially meant to be notified next Wednesday.

However, I’m not surprised to be included since most of the teams I support are also being cut.

Important: From what I know based on previous layoffs, there’s no real negotiation. Yes, you can try to push back or ask for more, but you probably won’t get anything extra, which honestly su-ks. All communication will eventually funnel through a general HR mailbox, and the replies will be completely generic.

If you think about holding out or trying to push for a better deal, don't bother. They won’t bend, and if you try, they simply won’t pay you. The company plans to go in hard on HR compliance and will not move on severance, timing, or terms. Why drag it out when the result is already decided?

This round of layoffs combines the old Paramount process with the new Paramount Skydance approach. The compensation structure hasn’t changed, but leadership is working extremely hard to keep everything under wraps until the official announcement. They want to show in the next earnings report that they saved far more money than expected.

I love this company, but I’m starting to lose faith in the new management. Don’t blame your team or department lead for what’s happening. Seriously! They’ve been kept in the dark just like everyone else.


How long were you tortured for before you were WFRd

I have a very obvious target at my back. Seems like they are giving me time to find something else BUT I will NOT leave without the package!

How long do I have left before I’m WFRd?

How long did you wait?

Also, I could pull the reverse card and go on another burnout leave but at this stage I wouldn’t mind the package and unemployment for a bit.


My Layoff Story…twice

The first time back in Feb of ‘22…the Thursday before Super Bowl weekend. A 15 min invite dropped in my calendar at 7:30 am that Thursday…invite was sent from the Director to meet at 9 am. Was given notice of my Rif and given 30 days to find a new role or leave. Thankfully I found a new role and stayed.

The second time in July of ‘24…had moved to a different role a yr prior at the invitation of a sly director. Same sly director who asked me to join his team the year prior laid me off a year later. “Business update” dropped in my calendar around 9 am for a fifteen minute meeting at 11 am same day. I knew what it was.

But, the second time came with VSP since our group wasn’t eligible to volunteer. So, the second layoff more than doubled the severance offer given on the first layoff.

Found a role to stay, but decided it was time to get of the VZ train. Glad to have found my exit with such a nice payout and was fully employed again within six weeks.

Good luck all. If your number is up, you WILL bounce back! For everyone else, keep riding the gravy train as long as you can, but always have a backup plan.


Townhall Nonsense

At the global town hall held on October 22, a very courageous employee rose to ask the first question. Stating that he "was not a VP yet," he proceeded to ask Bryan Hanson to explain the rationale behind adding additional layers to the ranks of senior executives while engaging in yet another round of Q4 layoffs.

By my recollection, counting our pre-spin days, we had layoffs in 2019, received US government pay during the pandemic to avoid layoffs in 2020, and then followed with layoffs in 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024. Now in 2025, we are sacrificing more people upon the altar of growth, while making room for more executives to augment the ranks of our C-suite. That makes the question particularly timely —Hanson fashions himself as a leader, and historically, leaders who can both speak and demonstrate shared sacrifices tend to earn followers. Hanson says a lot of the right things, but his actions indicate otherwise.

His answer was supremely unsatisfying. He provided corporate doublespeak about how we will continuously evolve, and occasionally, that evolution will cause his leadership team to eliminate jobs. That answer is the standard boilerplate C-suite talk that those folks have been spewing for many decades now. But it did not answer the question. In fact, it did not come close.

As a leader who came in claiming he wanted to flatten the hierarchy, he has significantly thickened it. The tie that binds Hanson to his clique is that they all worked with Bryan in years past. Hanson justifies his decisions by explaining that he needs people who have experienced spin-offs before. This argument, however, begs the question. Are Medtronic and Covidian alums the only people who fit that bill? At what point does this become cronyism masquerading as a meritocracy? And given the huge severance packages (Barry, for whatever personal struggles he is facing, likely earned a two-year severance package when his good old buddy Bryan figured out how to eliminate his position instead of accepting his resignation. No bad for declining a job offer.)

Despite all his flash and polish, it is hard not to wonder if Hanson is simply a pirate, out to pillage as much as he can while throwing some bo--y to his inexhaustible supply of friends. It is hard not to conclude they are feeding off what will eventually become the carcass of 3M's health care business group. And no amount of slide editing at 11 pm can paper that over.


severance plan

Any legacy uniti people here who can tell us about the severance plan? Windstream cut ours and only left supplemental unemployment to make up the difference in lost salary for a few weeks, or until you got a new job.


Comcast Layoffs

The Comcast bloodbath has begun; knowledgeable and tenured employees are being slashed with no plan to capture or transition their knowledge. Many jobs are being cut, then re-posted with lower salaries and greater demands, or being moved to offshore sites. Severance packages are demonstrably stingier than in the past. Thanks to the "Big Beautiful Bill", Comcast has a windfall in tax breaks. Kudos to all the fools who still believe in "trickle down" economics. I wonder who Comcast. Amazon, Meta, etc. will sell to when the American working class is eliminated entirely?


A question for those of us who were laid off this year

Hi - i’m just wondering if anyone knows when we will get paid out our vacation days. There’s no way my vacation days were paid off for my seemingly last pay check I just received. Can we expect it with our severance or is this another kind of pay check we are getting? Sorry this is my first experience ever with this. Also have a baby on the way and am needing everything I can get from them that is mine.


My Counselor is pleased with my progress.....

Its true! I chatted with my counselor today, and it was great! I told her I'm off the bottle (barely drink at all anymore) and in fact I'm loving the job search! It's almost like Christmas, the thought of doing work I actually enjoy - in a new company with none of the BS Agile/Scrum/In-Office...(you fill in the blanks)

I was given a package 9/30/25. I've been going through the 5 stages. Yet, my counselor has told me I'm doing great! I personally am thinking - I dreaded the Tuesday after payday meetings ..... is this The One? Not anymore! Nope. And given my longevity at WF, I don't have to worry about getting re-employed right away.

You know the Mickey D's slogan...."I'm lovin it!". Well I don't even eat there, but now I'm living the slogan....there really IS life after WF! Even my wife has noticed the difference, and is giving me a lot more "attention"! Dang.....shoulda left years ago......


Is the current severance enough, considering the state of the job market?

I know people who were laid off from other companies more than six months ago who are still looking for a job. Is the money that will be given to laid off employees really going to be enough to cover such long periods of unemployment? And on that note, does anybody know if you can get unemployment along with severance?


Benefits usage, and Rule of 55

If you are displaced, don't forget to take advantage of things like vision insurance, dental insurance, etc.

Also, if over 55, look into 'Rule of 55'. 'Separation from Service' in IRS speak. It allows anyone 55 or older to withdraw funds from retirement account with no penalty. You will still need to pay taxes on any non-taxed (401k) funds, but if you have pre-taxed (Roth) funds, there will be no Fed tax. You will need to look into your state situation. For example, Iowa has no tax on retirement fund income.

Talk to empower


Learn to say no

If you’re burned out, start saying no and stop feeling guilty about it. Managers here depend on us to keep their jobs alive, not the other way around. Half of them won’t even call you out because they’re terrified of confrontation. Keep saying no long enough, and they’ll finally lay you off with a nice severance attached. Sometimes that’s the only peace you’ll get from this place.