Thread regarding Lumen Technologies layoffs

April 8-th Cut Day

Those who opted in to take the voluntary offer will be notified on April 8th that April 12-th is their last day. On the same 8-th day the RIF list will be communicated to those being terminated. Maybe employees should call in sick on April 8-th.

by
| 5542 views | | 39 replies (last April 10, 2024) | Reply
Post ID: @OP+1rSuohbQ

39 replies (most recent on top)

So glad I was RIFed back in April 2014!!! 14 painful years of life su-king incompetent ultra micro management and back stabbing knee pad wearing coworkers. It's so good being treated well and being appreciated for the last 10 years. Never again will I work in telecom. It su-ks!!!

by
| | Reply
Post ID: @6wld+1rSuohbQ

A few folks on my team volunteered. All were approved, I was one of them. So happy to leave this place. On the day I submitted my response, I had such a feeling of peace come over me. I stayed way to long, and am so happy I dared to leave.

I hope to see you for lunch at Gospel mission. We'll have something common to talk about. 😁😂

by
| | Reply
Post ID: @5yac+1rSuohbQ

Once the EOI ends and the dust settles along with Q2 earning trends another batch in June is expected from what was told. Seems like leadership is trying to manipulate profitability by reduced headcount costs for Q3 and Q4 to show some sort of incline as sales are not meeting expectations. Don’t believe the cr-p emails from Executive leadership masking major issues

by
| | Reply
Post ID: @5wex+1rSuohbQ

Maybe yall are just too valuable to the company?

Then why company sent us those emails smh. Literally, 5 people including myself are rejected

by
| | Reply
Post ID: @5yer+1rSuohbQ

Got my confirmation to leave today. Had another manager inform me since mines is out this week. The manager I spoke with wanted me to stay but leadership making like since I chose to go that I should go.

Talk about a Jedi Mind F@&k!!!

by
| | Reply
Post ID: @5vpl+1rSuohbQ

A few folks on my team volunteered. All were approved, I was one of them. So happy to leave this place. On the day I submitted my response, I had such a feeling of peace come over me. I stayed way to long, and am so happy I dared to leave.

by
| | Reply
Post ID: @4ubt+1rSuohbQ

I doubt they will announce RIFs before Thursday which is the typical day for HR to reach out to those who get laid off. They may also let people know on Friday, since Friday is the last day of work for people who were accepted for the EOI.

by
| | Reply
Post ID: @4chm+1rSuohbQ

Me and some coworkers got accepted today.

Maybe yall are just too valuable to the company?

by
| | Reply
Post ID: @4qqv+1rSuohbQ

Haven't heard of RIF's yet.... has anyone?

Got a call from director and I'm rejected. I know a lot of people were rejected. Why send everyone this offer if nothing was one? People who answered YES just moved themselves to the first place on layoff list. This company is full of cr-p

by
| | Reply
Post ID: @4hxm+1rSuohbQ

half the day and the eclipse are over
Haven't heard of RIF's yet.... has anyone?
I think its only notifications for voluntary separation.
Wondering about layoffs is such a waste of time and energy.

by
| | Reply
Post ID: @4jsk+1rSuohbQ

"4 people took EOI in my area, myself Including. Nobody got approved. This whole thing was scam"

There was a cut list made in early Q1 2024. The EOI was to reduce the cut list. Those on cut list who did not take EOI offer are still on the cut list. Those not on the cut list who opted for EOI were denied the EOI. The EOI was not offered to everyone. Now perhaps people see how this company is run. Level3 folks ruined Level3, and now Level3 folks will ruin Lumen.

by
| | Reply
Post ID: @4eys+1rSuohbQ

Yeesh....thats foul. Now they have 4 (even more) disgruntled employees on the team. Youd think that management would find a way to give you a raise or something (Lumen Stars!!) to at least make you feel better about being turned down and retained against your will.

by
| | Reply
Post ID: @4bqa+1rSuohbQ

4 people took EOI in my area, myself Including. Nobody got approved. This whole thing was scam

by
| | Reply
Post ID: @4nfr+1rSuohbQ

So today is Kate's big day! Her stellar plan of disrupting the industry is upon us. Today her north star will align with uranus for a galactic movement.

by
| | Reply
Post ID: @4awd+1rSuohbQ

Makes sense. The last day for those approved for the EOI is Friday. I figure whoever else they are going to let go (involuntarily) will be this Thursday/Friday. Why do big layoffs twice, it wont look good to the shareholders. Cut em' all at once.

by
| | Reply
Post ID: @4qdl+1rSuohbQ

I know there are additional layoffs and restructuring coming. Our team found a mistake by someone (that's all I'm going to say). Which lead to finding out from a director there are discussions happening today around who is being let go and how to restructure. By the end of the week headcount will be reduced is my guess.

by
| | Reply
Post ID: @4ehy+1rSuohbQ

Where did you hear that the target is 10% of the workforce?

by
| | Reply
Post ID: @4wyf+1rSuohbQ

Voluntary or Involuntary you should still qualify for unemployment either way (assuming you do not have a job after the # of severance weeks have passed). The difference is the duration in weeks of the separation pkg of standard RIF vs enhanced RIF (for voluntary this time). Usually in either case they pay a lump sum on your last day, and that is for x weeks pays, and on the x+1 th week after your last day, you would qualify for unemployment but this depends on the laws in your state.

The primary difference is the 25% incentive (for the EOI) and the Cobra benefits are slightly enhanced also.

by
| | Reply
Post ID: @3vtc+1rSuohbQ

conjecture, word of the day.

by
| | Reply
Post ID: @3qqm+1rSuohbQ

Voluntary exit = 25% extra package - package runs out - collect NO unemployment if you haven't secured another job (albeit it amounts to very little). Involuntary exit via RIF= standard package and able to file/collect unemployment after package ends if no job and it hits LT right in the wallet!

by
| | Reply
Post ID: @3gzn+1rSuohbQ

Ive heard the number of headcount they want to reduce is 2500-2800 which is about a 10% reduction in force.

Do we think its possible that enough people took the EOI? I know of three people across the company that said yes. Not sure if they were approved or not. I think approvals are announced on the 8th...and that last day of work (for most) is on the 12th.

by
| | Reply
Post ID: @3pig+1rSuohbQ

So youre saying there "might" be. But you dont know. You dont know how many took the show of interest. You dont know if the company got the number they wanted. Yes, your response is considered conjecture.

by
| | Reply
Post ID: @3gyx+1rSuohbQ

Conjecture eh?

"Will there be an involuntary Reduction in Force (RIF) if there are fewer EOIs than the company may have expected?

If there are fewer EOIs than anticipated, we will explore all available options. Our priority is to manage any workforce adjustments with sensitivity and consideration for our employees. While involuntary reductions are never our first choice, we must ensure the sustainability of the organization and make decisions that align with our business needs and priorities and to be a more agile, simpler company. We are committed to sharing what we can share when we can share it."

by
| | Reply
Post ID: @2bky+1rSuohbQ

Someone knows ifthere will be additional layoffs but not anyone on this site. It’s all conjecture here. Some of us are just waiting to leave and hoping for a buyout. If it doesn’t happen then for me personally I’ve already decided Ive worked my last winter.

by
| | Reply
Post ID: @2lql+1rSuohbQ

How do you know there will be additional layoffs

by
| | Reply
Post ID: @2mou+1rSuohbQ

If you are over say, 45yo, this is probably your last call. They absolutely love to discriminate by age, in fact, they prefer to do so. This company will ruin your career once you are laid off from here as no one in the industry wants to deal with you as a hire, due to the horrible reputation that CTL/Level 3/Lumen has in most markets.

Note to sales folks: if you don't have any "house accounts" to keep you going; get that resume together. You cannot beat Verizon and Comcast at this game anymore and you know you can't. If you are in a football city and you have a really smart customer, a bottom feeder like Cogent will eat your lunch as well. Save yourself, save your career.

You had better hope Microsoft swoops in. Most decent toilet paper is worth more than the stock now. Special note: F--K all the manager goons in the Norristown office. Karma is a bi--h.

by
| | Reply
Post ID: @1xno+1rSuohbQ

Just want to know when represented will be offered a vspp, I want to plan my summer accordingly. It’s time.

by
| | Reply
Post ID: @1udh+1rSuohbQ

Post ID: @1ubf+1rSuohbQ - "the truth is job boards are not that effective when compared knowing someone at a company or getting a personal referral"

For the newbie workers the job boards will be the place to go. For others who have been in the business for 10 or 15+ years they will all have contacts and know how to land a new job.

by
| | Reply
Post ID: @1bcm+1rSuohbQ

the truth is job boards are not that effective when compared knowing someone at a company or getting a personal referral

those job boards can be very demoralizing because many reject you before they even read your resume

and workday should be put out of business for forcing people to re-enter their resume in 2024 ... so many companies use that pos and it basically asks you to re-enter your resume "per employer" ... workday sux!! I almost never fill those out anymore ... if this company is d-mb enough to use workday for hiring, do you really want to work there?!

by
| | Reply
Post ID: @1ubf+1rSuohbQ

Anonymous said "be prepared to be submitting at least 20 job aps per day (100 per week)."

You are delusional.

by
| | Reply
Post ID: @1rvl+1rSuohbQ

"Will sales and CS be part of RIFs? "

Sales already is. They RIF'ed a few account managers and salespeople in NY last week who were NOT on PIP.

by
| | Reply
Post ID: @1gjj+1rSuohbQ

"Will sales and CS be part of RIFs?"

I imagine they won't be included since they were not sent the Expression Of Interest notification and I am sure Lumen wants to avoid legal action from employees. But it's hard to say what could happen there. I suppose they could claim it's performance related.

by
| | Reply
Post ID: @1tfn+1rSuohbQ

As a former manager who was in the last RIF I can confirm below. Terminating an employee for any reason su-ks, but especially RIF. But even though you may have a great relationship with your manager and they sincerely care about you as a person, if they are a professional, they will have to separate personal emotions from business decisions and are coached that the less that is said the better. Should take 5 minutes. I knew this as it happened to me, but that does not make it feel any better.

I was not a micro manager but if I had to lay someone off I had a somewhat small window where I got a link from IT and I was going through your files and emails before they were permanently deleted. This is to see if there are any documents you had or were working on that I need to save for the team or email conversations that I needed to follow up on for continuity of the business. Of course your laptop is company property and "not for personal use" so they would say there should not be anything personal on it anyway and technically I am sure IT or managers could get access to you stuff anytime they wanted or needed to. That said it was necessary. but I always felt awkward poking around in someone's stuff and agree that now could be a good time for you to do some spring cleaning.

by
| | Reply
Post ID: @1uxq+1rSuohbQ

Previous post is correct. Your reporting manager will definitely access your computer for any insight to your work. Or for curiosity they might want to poke around. So be sure to dump any personal emails, clear bookmarks, clear cache, delete personal files and DON'T FORGET TEAMS (like your messages to your peer about how crp y work is.. Yeah, I know you are not coming back..who would? It's for peace of mind. Sit down at your desk. Login and pretend you are your boss. What will they find?

by
| | Reply
Post ID: @1ceb+1rSuohbQ

FYI if you do get laid off your "last day" and "last day worked" are two different things. You will get an IM or call from your manager to join a call. When you get on it will probably be your next 1-2 layers of leaders ie your Director/VP who will read you a script, ask you to ping your personal email, so they can send you a document with the details that they confirm you received (validating your personal email). There is no question and answer session, dont expect a discussion from your manager. The more anyone says the more opportunity for liability. Short, clean, cold. They will be pinging a person in HR telling them that they are having the call with you and the process will be rolling to shut down your access. You maybe have a few minutes-hours after the call before locked out. That will be your last day worked even if the friday is technically your "last day".

I recommend making sure you have emailed yourself IN ADVANCE any necessary information or documents such as tax statements or a few payroll statements, login info you may have stored in your bookmarks like 401k, health insurance, ect. finding details like your exact start dates, of specific roles over the years (resumes and future employers will want to know and Lumen HR will not be assisting you in any way). FYI Lumen does NOT have a phone number you can use to call a Human in HR. You are out of luck if there is anything you need from them or stored on your machine after RIF. Unemployment does need some of the information about your gross pay that is hard to answer without a pay stub..

Maybe think about getting on linked in ahead of time and connecting with as many friends and coworkers as possible. Ask people to write you a recommendation (right beside the message button there is a more button and an option to recommend). I have found if you write a recommendation for them they are more likely to write one for you. Your linked in page is a great link you can provide if you are asked for references.

If you had your cell linked to outlook/teams you will loose your address book when you loose system access so people numbers you THOUGHT you had for years are suddenly gone. So if you want to be getting that info i would be doing it now..

Your manager will have access to your files and emails after you leave including notes on OneNote, ect. So if you have stuff like scans of your social security cards, kids info, ect stored up over the years to do things like annual enrollment you may want to be prepared to have those types of personal documents or personal emails ready to be thrown away and emptied from the trash.

You should be prepared to be submitting at least 20 job aps per day (100 per week). You may get 1 positive response or request for phone screen per every 100-200 apps and it will likely take several months. Have a cheat sheet prepped laying out your work roles/experiences, dates, education ect so that you can copy/paste quickly dozens of times. Try applying to jobs in totally new areas or fields and out of your comfort zone

Finally keep your head up and stay positive. After years of dedication it will hurt and be hard not to take it personally, to essentially lose all the connections you have made or be nervous about what is next. Find something that gives you motivation and keeps you in the fight on your low days ( I like jocko willink). There is light on the other side and I personally am happier in my new role and industry and you may be too. Good Luck!

by
| | Reply
Post ID: @1fxm+1rSuohbQ

Will sales and CS be part of RIFs?

by
| | Reply
Post ID: @1mtj+1rSuohbQ

"It is so compassionate of them to give you 4, almost 5 full days to know your out of a job on Friday of the same week." Hmm. Usually in a technical support area, where employees have access to various systems, anyone who's laid off their access to systems etc. is cut off immediately and if in an office area, walked out. I suspect, as I work from home, I'll know right away Monday am if I can or can't log on or access various systems.

by
| | Reply
Post ID: @jqw+1rSuohbQ

Calling in won’t do any good. I was in the first rif November. Guy in my group was on vacation and up in a tree deer hunting when he got the call

by
| | Reply
Post ID: @nmx+1rSuohbQ

It is so compassionate of them to give you 4, almost 5 full days to know your out of a job on Friday of the same week.

by
| | Reply
Post ID: @sdt+1rSuohbQ

Post a reply

: