Thread regarding Optum layoffs

@sq its been like that a while

If you pull up the severance documents on SPARQ, the number of weeks of severance is no longer just based upon how long you have worked for the company, but what your salary grade is/was.

@a8 yes this is what I heard too.

@sg Yes a people manager and I know my staff got fewer weeks when they were let go.

@a3 12+weeks for 5 years is terrible but they gave you much more than most who worked for them for 7, 8 and even 15 years. Some that worked for them for over 2 decades were simply put on CAPS and discarded. Were you a people manager? Someone said people managers are given more.

@hx Right! This is exactly what they are doing. Yet some crazy people are attacking others in other posts for sharing. They used to give 2 weeks per year + let you keep your insurance till the last paycheck. Those days are gone.

@s3 I know, it’s awful. No loyalty to employees who’ve helped them generate revenue. That’s why they are sinking.

@OP Laid off in November, after 7 years. Six weeks severance and PTO. Bonus for the 11 months of hard work. It is to laugh.

@a3 This is interesting. I had 8 years and they offered me 6 weeks. Disgusting!

@ba You were so lucky to get 26 weeks, as terrible as that sounds. Most of us got under 10 weeks lol.

@ae if your position is removed as a result of RIF- then FMLA cannot protect a job that no longer exists. It’s that easy.

Prefaced with the corporate BS, "We review staffing levels from time to time so we can make health care more accessible to more people," I got the heave-ho in early February after 17 years with Optum. Of course, that bit about lowering costs rings hollow when you know the CEO rakes in several million a year.

Based on severance packages offered a few years ago, I had expected 26 weeks but was only offered 20 weeks plus a small bonus.

PTO is only "granted" for a given pay period if the employee is still there on the following Monday, so the company usually chooses a Friday as a final work day and thus avoids paying out a little PTO.

I had just over 40 hours of PTO at the time I left. I was paid for 40 hours. I believe that is more a function of state law.

@af Oh I see. Thank you

@ae it doesn’t sound like FMLA protects you in a mass layoff, sadly. They can’t fire you, that’s the job protection of FMLA, but they can lay you off.

I’ve seen two people in our group laid off while on FMLA, how’s this company skirting around the law that you shouldn’t do this?

@a3 Truth! My friend worked in a marketing company for 14 years and got less than two months.

@a4 I hear you but not necessarily. I live in TX and they paid my PTO upon layoff. However the payout State rule does apply if you resign.

PTO payout depends on what state you live in. Most states only pay 40 hours.

The packages are not great but that's true for most companies these days. I had 5 years with Optum and only got 12 weeks.

I started in 2016 and they used to pay 2 weeks for each year plus keep your insurance until your last paycheck. Things must have dwindled, the current economy and job market aren’t good either.

This is why you can’t rely on that document in Sparq. They may have internal variables but don’t know what those are.