Thread regarding HCSC (Health Care Service Corporation) layoffs

Apparently adults can't be expected to work without 10 eyes and ten ears on them at all times

This is definitely not happening, stop freaking out people.

We’ve already done a full RTO back to the norm of 3 days in office, 2 days at home. Telling people to come in 5 days a week with how much they’ve pulled back on spending to improve systems and deliver work would be jarring and incompetent to the highest level.

If you were to tell me that they would put in writing a full work day is 9-4 or be more stringent about when folks left the office, I could see that. Our benefits package has taken quite a hit recently with the reduction of wellness days. Removing flex schedules would cause them lose more talent quicker than they could ever recover.

Lastly… AI? Lmao this company’s version of automation still requires team members to maintain spreadsheets and PowerPoints to track progress, key member databases (for sharing), and so much more. They don’t even let us use copilot or chat gpt to cut down some of the remedial tasks completion time in half. I doubt a full scale AI or automation implementation is coming. You don’t even need to work in IT to understand that.

@bm It’s pretty simple, they want people to quit.

@bm because it's a reduction in force tactic that's well known across every industry. They call everyone to RTO and a certain percentage will quit. Saves them severance and reduces head count so the executives can jeep raking in their 50% bonuses. As usual HCSC is backwards and doesn't think strategies through. MOST companies do a mandatory RTO for all WAY before any layoffs!

@av where are you getting that MS is for flex schedules? This is blatantly false.

RTO is about making people quit and appeasing the local politicians. RTO hurt work/life balance and cost the employees more (gas, parking, comute time), but the c-suite doesn't seem to care because they are only interested in $$$.

People especially those that have long tenures use to be our greatest strength, now HCSC feels these people are our greatest liability. the doom loop has begun. I've seen this story played out in other companies.

@OP How would returning to the office 5 days a week benefit the bottom line? When WFH we all use our own electricity, heat, A/C, internet, water, etc. A return full time would actually put a bigger strain on company resources.

This is FUD. They barely have enough space to accommodate teams as it is in Dallas and Chicago. Wth are they gonna do? Lease from AON again for Chicago? What about Dallas? Work in the parking lot!?

@am what was the ai experiment??

@ar they mean an assigned desk. Not everyone has one. Some locations are arranged so that people take whatever desk is available and don’t have permanent spots.

MS is all for flex schedules and WFH, even though some BODs are pressuring RTO. I doubt RTO is the direction even though it is a viable strategy for natural attrition.

However, from an evaluation standpoint, there are valid concerns around WFH productivity compared to RTO - and I am all for WFH. I hope WFH employees realize the importance of being productive and keeping red flags at bay.

So frustrating when you think about how last year they cut our PTO by 2 days claiming the hybrid schedule was the perk we get to keep in return.

Telecommuters save the company money by not being in the office. Collaborating in the office has its place however how many meetings have I been in where we still have teams meetings when we’re on different floors?
Now they want to penalize this group? Makes no sense! They are discriminating against a group of workers in an effort to force attrition? The job market is brutal right now. It can take up to a year or more to find a position these days. People may stay due to this fact. Better to be treated poorly and have a paycheck vs being free and unemployed. No longer proud to work for this company.

@a9 what do you mean permanent desk? A permanent desk if you have to RTO?

@ac the only goofy here is someone who can’t work effectively from home. You’re telling me you can’t work from home without the temptation to “golf” lol this the the mindset ruining industries. It’s 2025 grow with it or get out.

I wish I knew the motivation of whoever is spreading this misinformation. I promise there will not be a 5 day RTO mandate, and this is not speculation, I know this for certain.

if true, this is really going to bite them in the a-s.

@OP Our most recent AI experiment failed miserably. We cannot keep up applications for basic chart submissions let alone run AI. Windows 95 would run more efficiently than the garbage we use every day. Are Microsoft Word and AI even compatible? lololololol

@ac when is the last time you “collaborated” in the office? We all spend our time on video calls anyway because we all work with people from across the country. This won’t change even if we all come back 5 days a week.

This is going to sound soulless but if they were really trying to cut salary expenses, wouldn't it make sense to mandate the 5 day RTO and get rid of bonuses first? That should drive some attrition and then do layoffs to meet their target budget expense?

Wow this is a recipe for disaster. So many experienced employees will look elsewhere.

@ac I was a telecommuter long before covid. I was told I wasn't in the office enough to justify having a cubicle because of my travel schedule. Not every telecommuter is a result of covid.

@ac lol, this about making life miserable enough for people that they quit, let’s not pretend otherwise.

@ac people who think this way are people who have no life outside of work or want to avoid their families because they are having affairs with coworkers

This is definitely not happening. Can confirm.

Not happening

wow, hcsc is getting rid of talent. even if you dont get riffed, dont expect hcsc to exist too long. everything has a lifespan even companies. this company is starting to die. it was good while it lasted.

Oh great. Let's just continue the stress of the fu--ing unknown into the next year. They better find me a permanent desk if that's the case.

When your Manager FORCED you to be a telecommuter, I'm not sure how they can now 'penalize' the employee. If they want telecommuters back in the office, just say that. The threats are unnecessary.

@a4 I doubt it will be an immediate mass departure. People will start looking for other jobs, but it will take a long time for them to find something new, especially now in this abysmal job market. It won’t do anything to offset the need for more cost savings by the end of the year and only put morale even deeper in the toilet

@a1 I can see where it’s a little confusing but I think the “announcements” in the second paragraph refers to telecommuters and not RTO for office workers. Hence the two different dates. Could be wrong.

If they implement this then I better get a permanent desk again. The hotel sh-t is fu--ing annoying enough.

I wouldn’t doubt this at all, and it’ll probably work really well too.

I have a nearly two hour commute, couldn’t do five days long term.

@a1 That’s my fault for not being clear. Impacts to telecommuters’ merit or API will be communicated after the first of the year. It sounds like they are waiting for all performance evaluations and scores to be submitted before determining the scope of the impact.

If true, a certain HR VP lied to his entire team today. Which, of course, we all knew as soon as it came out of his mouth

You mention RTO by Dec 1 but announcements going out after the first of the year.