Are we ever going to be able to breathe a sigh of relief?
12 replies (most recent on top)
Cigna treating employees horrible and the negative work environment is shooting itself in the foot. Here is a real world example of the power employees have. I hate to admit this, but I am already out the door so I don't care anymore.
A relative of mines is in a position to make decisions about choosing health coverage for an entire employer group. They worked with a employer broker and narrowed it down to Cigna and their local BCBS. They were initially leaning towards Cigna. A few months ago, my relative asked for my input about Cigna. Lets just say I found it difficult to say positive things. The employer group decided to go with their local BCBS.
If my relative would have asked me the same question 2 years ago, my responses would have painted Cigna in a more positive light.
If it helps, and might not, think of it in numbers, even with an overall (unconfirmed) 10% head count reduction (which already started in early 2023 and coming to the likely end), you are more likely in the 90% retaining their position. The numbers are in your favor. Even for those who are just doing the bare minimum, if you are in a department that does not need to cut positions, you won't likely be cut now. Most large scale cuts are not about talent and motivation or lack of it, it's just money and "efficiency". The entire country appears to be in a layoff phase, it will turn around again, everything happens in cycles.
I would also add that if you are capable of getting yourself out of the mire that this company has become and you find yourself with the connections to help another person out of it, do it.
@1rxo+1rc0QAXn beat me to an answer. I say "an answer" because there are many answers to this question: some good and some bad. I had to see therapist this several years back when I was in a bad work environment to help cope with the situation until I could make my exit plan.
I would also suggest setting boundaries and finding things outside of work to focus on that make you happy. Another tactic I took when I was struggling with a bad work environment.
But ultimately, for me, the exit plan solved the issue (until I came here and the culture died last year). So I'm falling back into the techniques I learned in therapy to handle my stress and focusing on stuff outside of work to gain happiness from until my exit can be completed. But those tactics may not be available to everyone.
I don't have all the answers. I'm not professing to.
But we should also recognize that not everyone has the same privilege and agency in their situation. And unfortunately, there are good reasons for why a person would stay in a terrible work environment and can't yet make an exit plan.
If you are still employed at Cigna, I would suggest taking advantage of Behavioral Health services through EAP. If not, you might consider starting to see a therapist, at least temporarily. They can train on how to cope with stress and anxiety, even when there's nothing we can do to make the stressor stop.
@1vab+1rc0QAXn I see both your and the OP's sides, but what would your advice be for someone who feels like they can't breathe and like the situation is unbearable? Yes, the problem is the system, but what would your advice be to an individual to make their life bearable?
this page is full of miserable people, why are you guys downvoting the person below who simply said that is the last of the known layoffs as we know??
I mean this gently as well. Your advice isn't wrong. They're all excellent steps to take... if you can take those steps. There are several reasons why those steps might be difficult for a person to take.
Transparency from managers: Situational, and not everyone has that or can be guaranteed when they come into a position.
ERP: carving out time to take college courses to enhance your skills and gain degrees isn't always easy for parents and caregivers.
Networking: It's a skill that takes practice, time, and building connections. Even with those connections, you may not be able to find a new job easily or quickly.
A variety of projects: That can entirely depend on your manager and what they assign you.
Savings: depends on your salary, current expenses, and life situation. Most Americans can't handle a $1000 medical emergency because they don't have the capability to save from their paycheck. Maybe they did have savings, but it was depleted recently by medical or other emergencies.
In an ideal situation, sure, what you're outlining would be great. But some of those items come from privileges that not everyone has. And while we can and should do everything we can to have agency over our situation and improve it... let's be real. We're not the problem. The problem is the system that allows a CEO to make 277 times the average employee at their company.
if I recall some contractors said they were being let go on the 29th. Were any contractors let go today? maybe the supposed next week lay off is just contractors and they got notice ahead of time? this 29th date is the last known one
well that should wrap up the mass layoffs from what we know
I mean this gently - this isn't going to change. Most employees in the U.S. are at will, meaning they can be let go at any time for any reason. Also, Cigna is a publicly traded company, meaning it owes a duty to its shareholders to make the most profit possible. These things together mean that anytime an employee is viewed as unneeded, they will be let go to decrease op ex. What I do is I found a position where I trust my manager and skip level to be honest with me about upcoming changes (and so far, with these past few layoff days, they have been). I furthered my education using Cigna's ERP so I am more attractive as an employee both at Cigna and outside of it. I network in and outside Cigna so if I lose my current role, I could find another easily. I don't pigeonhole myself by becoming an in-the-woods SME, instead taking on a wide variety of projects. I saved 6 months of expenses so that with severance, I could be set not working for a year plus while I job hunt. Doing all those things, I find that I am able to breathe easy regardless of what's happening at Cigna. If you'd like more security than that, certain professions do not have a norm of at-will employment. One example is medical doctors!
I wish I could say yes, but this is a giant corporation that will throw us to the street if it gets them a better looking quarterly earnings report. They have no loyalty to you, so take care of yourself, put yourself first, and do your job but only your job (tricking us into working 1.5 or 2 persons worth of work by having us work 60-80 hours a week steals pay from you and keeps them from having to hire the right amount of people). Keep it to 40 hours if you are salaried and maintain boundaries on what you do. You only get one life and it matters to you and your family. It doesn’t matter to Cigna.