Thread regarding Verizon Communications Inc. layoffs

Consolidating info across multiple groups

Sorry that were all here again trying to figure out how these decisions are being made. Ive been here 20+ years, worked for a lot of leaders at the top (some currently still there) and without giving out too many details -- unfortunately this is far too common in the tech industry. My peers and I have survived some major ones since 2015-- (some were impacted, relo'd, VSP, Rif'd --lots of great talent that was lost in the last decade) This happens pretty routine with some being larger when we changed leaders/strategy since the days of Lowell McCadams... Anyways, I've had a couple of discussions with several groups and take this comment as an educated guess (some claim they heard this from some decision makers) and if it helps you predict your outcome so that you can decide on next steps, then great-- but also remember that at this point-- all those decisions have already been made so "try" not to let this consume you (I know much easier said than done!) but just trust that you can't change that outcome so hopefully you can make peace with whatever happens from now until Thursday. That being said here's what I've heard

  1. If you were asked to work from home this week -- you may be impacted -- this makes sense as to try and not have a huge emotionally charged situation happen in office on Thursday-- it may impact you or your overall group

  2. Band 5 and up were suppose to be notified today, Band 6 (ADs) notified tomorrow, and the rest on Thursday --- Seems that some people are notified today so this seems to be likely as well

  3. There will be guidance on who is rif'd to prevent law suits. It wont be random or get rid of x people, it most likely will be based on the following - Anyone on a performance PIP or write up, anyone tagged as "home based" and not near an office location (may be department specific) --- Everyone knows that theres a push for minimum 3 days in the office and BAU prior to covid... so if you moved, or aren't near an office then they may offer you the choice to move but with the interest rate etc. this option may not be likely for most-- *again this make sense just based on the direction of employees being hybrid or in office preferred. Not to say no departments/jobs can work from home, but that being the norm will change to the exception --FYI this is 14,500 emps alone across the enterprise (I have the exact number but don't need more people poking around how I know that!)

  4. no Brainer- redundancy will be eliminated-- And for consumer it will start with the Sales leaders hierarchy-- This is not new folks, it will mean Indirect/Retail Market leaders will be consolidated starting on the sales side (heard this went from 6 to 4 today, but I haven't confirmed and someone from CSO told me this, but haven't checked so if someone can verify here thanks)----> which means DMs/managers,reps, store closures or plans to convert those to indirect, then their support teams will be consolidated which are field ops, field enablement, training, merch, HR, talent acquisition etc) and marketing groups that got beefed up again will get consolidated **more on this on #5, but this is also not a new way to make these decisions so it overall makes sense. When Krista left and Market leaders were stood up-- they just followed suit generally to the prior markets -- but we had a larger hierarch of AREA and consolidating it from 6-4 MPs make sense to do the same task with less people and just spread the out more.

5.) this one is a little bit more specific/niche to department/job function that's tied to the consolidating of Sales MPs --- this is general educated guess so it may be completely off-- but there's always been a move to group Retail and Indirect together in one umbrella-- which started even back in the days when Kevin was here before he came back. -- SO again not a new way to "consolidate" this means that strategy and operations needs to align-- which typically means Finance supports enterprise budget/data and these are your aggregated info/data folks (some consolidation may happen here also) but generally they don't support a particularly niche but support enterprise-- so everyone uses their info since thats what the leaders get, then you get the folks below them that take their info and break it down to dashboards and data, analysis for leaders tasked with managing people's performance/KPI and metrics -- these are probably your GTS folks, developers that get a jira, data scientist, data visualization, business intelligence roles (think MeTREX, tableau dashboards etc), groups managing resources that are EDW based, GCP developers etc-- (again may get touched but depends if theres overlap and redundancies---- )
But then theres other "rouge" reporting/strategy groups that do similar roles/functions but are either niche, or specific to a group--- back in the days, this would be your region reporting folks not in a finance umbrella or reporting folks that are with non/reporting titles and are in none data groups--- Making the choice on how to consolidate this will probably entail more than general guidance-- (back then it was streamlining titles, departments, or number of employees a manager has etc.) but if you're supporting more of a niche- then it may not align with overall strategy so you may also be impacted. This is probably the most vague--- but if you think Finance is the law with the numbers, then there are groups that support that that under that umbrella-- the further you get away from finance and move into supporting data/ops specific to a leader then this is most likely unnecessary redundancy--- (formatting colors, creating specific market reports etc) <<--- again this is speculation but in the past has been pretty common way to reduce headcount. Yes, a leader may want the report to look this way, and they dont want to go to 2 dashboards to get what's being consolidated for them, but this is now a nice to have and not a necessity

6.) lastly, this might be the main/first wave ,but most likely once the dust settles there will be further refinement in 2026--- Q1 to determine what is redundant or no longer needed. This could also be when they take salary into consideration (which would be terrible since I'm at the upper end of my band) but from what I heard Salary at this point may not be the main criteria but may be used later since most likely it's not just related to "bodies" being reduced, but savings in overall cost.

That being said-- feel free to chime in if you heard similar things... Having gone through so many of these and lost countless talented coworkers (most went to FAANG companies or other major tech ones!) one thing about Verizon-- if you've been here long enough-- then you are most likely highly skilled, trained and able to transfer those skills to multiple industries so if you are impacted-- I'm hopeful that your experience will be appreciated in other industries and you will eventually land somewhere. But it doesn't get any easier-- there's some really amazing talented folks that are always impacted by this and survivors remorse is also very real. A lot of us in 2015, even though we made it, still felt a heavy burden seeing our friends/co-workers be impacted. I know this isn't saying much-- but having personally worked with Kevin (and NO I am not a Kevin stand) from what I know he is a good guy and I don't think at least for him at his level this decision is easy and I also know some of the people that work under him and the ones I do know, in the past this has weighed heavily on them. I don't have much of an opinion on Dan but whats right for the investors may not always be great for the work culture but it's something thats gotta be done and for better or worse it happens in all tech industries-- so if this is not something you want to be in year after year maybe use your severance to decide what you want for yourself career wise next time --

Good luck everyone and hopefully I will see some of you on the other side of this!


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| 7166 views | | 26 replies (last November 19) | Reply
Post ID: @OP+1kad0pjec

26 replies (most recent on top)

@aq Used to be that your manager could give you that information as they had it available to them when doing BPI planning. However, HR now does all that planning so not sure if managers still have access. Ask them.

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Post ID: @cm+1kad0pjec

“ You see all those men and women out there toiling down in those metal-covered holes in the street, and also climbing those things that look like branchless trees to you, well, newsflash, those fibers that they're working on, in all sorts of weather, day and night, well that keeps the wireless network up and running.”

What all are you talking about? Live in Frontier territory that was fibered a few years ago. Seeing a Frontier truck is like seeing a unicorn. Read they have a lot of territory where fiber is lacking but once it’s in, and hooked up the work disappears.

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Post ID: @c8+1kad0pjec

@OP Thank you Grok

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Post ID: @by+1kad0pjec

@ap they dont publish is--- but again, im the OP and I've been around FOR A WHILE-- and been in roles with some knowledge and close with peers and typically sharing this info is frowned upon but we've done it. And I live in a state that has a higher cost of living-- and this does make a difference. I had a manager back in the days -- I stayed in the state but moved to another city and my manager advocated for me and someone else on the team for HR to adjust our salary for differential based on title and location. Not sure if they do this anymore but I've been lucky to have to some great managers that advocated for me without asking. I know someone with the same title, similar experience, education in another state and my salary is 35K more when we last compared. But lots of factors go into this-- location, experience, department (can be same title but different depts start higher for the same role), movement like lateral can also bump your pay even though theres no title change. For me its mostly location and tenure driven and my department.

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Post ID: @ar+1kad0pjec

ditto, @OP re #6. You mentioned that you're at the upper end of your salary band. Where can I find this info for my band? HR has said they don't publish this to employees.

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Post ID: @aq+1kad0pjec

@OP re #6. You mentioned that you're at the upper end of your salary band. Where can I find this info for my band? HR has said they don't publish this to employees.

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Post ID: @ap+1kad0pjec

found out Keller is gone from a source. Not sure the other MP that's impacted.

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Post ID: @an+1kad0pjec

@ag put the fries in the bag. You run dark fiber (a d-mb pipe).

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Post ID: @ak+1kad0pjec

@af: for now just help us all as we are all reading, gleaning, and holding our breaths!!! Thrash talk later.

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Post ID: @aj+1kad0pjec

@ag: do have to be so critical during the juncture. Simply, the reference herein pertains to Verizon's US management jobs and Verizon's India jobs.

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Post ID: @ah+1kad0pjec

"Wireless Network Ops shouldn't be included in this layoff. We keep the network running for customers. We should be the last consider." - @a6
Ah, @a6, look out your window. You see all those men and women out there toiling down in those metal-covered holes in the street, and also climbing those things that look like branchless trees to you, well, newsflash, those fibers that they're working on, in all sorts of weather, day and night, well that keeps the wireless network up and running.

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Post ID: @ag+1kad0pjec

@ad lol drop your userid so I can see if you're an actual developer or just another noob. FR tho- ya all are the same lame a-s folks that should have been rif'd in 2015 if you were around or newbies that are just taking up space talking sh-t. You talk a lot of sh-t and have a lot of opinions are zero value add and I WOULD love for the id--ts here commenting, lurking, being critical for no FU--ING REASON. give your seat up cause clearly you ain't collaborative and you talk like you know some sh-t but really AINT SH-T.

I would love to be the non-professional version of me and just catch you f2f-- but the universe corrects itself and if you put on a fake a-s front at work only to be a sh-----d behind closed doors just to comment like a fu--ing weirdo then you probably the same weirdo in the office that we know is lame AF. again feel free to GTFO :D just trying to help some folks with info and you aint my target audience.

AND THAT GOES TO ANY ID--T out there. I hope that I run some project with your a-s on it when they ask me to rank and rate someone cause you pretenders gotta go to make room for the folks that care about their teams an coworkers. NO I DONT drink the verizon koolaid- been here way too fu--ing long, but I do care about the genuinely good folks that work here trying to pay their bills. MAN Entitled negative pricks like those dropping that AI comment sh-t is weird AF and need to get promoted to customers

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Post ID: @af+1kad0pjec

7) If you had the wisdom to organize, none of this silliness concerns you, ut a buyout will come when you're ready.

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Post ID: @ae+1kad0pjec

@OP: much appreciated!!! Though I dont know you and will never come to know you -- hope to see you on the other side until 2026 then rinse and repeat. Need to get GCP training and certifications at VZ's expense.

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Post ID: @ac+1kad0pjec

oooH connect dude -- you'll know this --------> "DZ" ill leave it at that as a clue cause that's where I got the connect info :P

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Post ID: @ab+1kad0pjec

@a6 not sure how network ops is where you're at but in my area (sorry need to be vague) they're mostly contractors. AS IN PRETTY MUCH ALL CONTRACTORS. not sure how contractors are views as far has cost-- what their contracts look like or if they're at will employees. There's a bunch of new contractors the past couple of months that are network employees -- not sure why they need so many (out of my expertise/experience) but yes-- the network is valuable, but how much revenue they can quantify it generates may mean reductions regardless. At the end of the day Sales drives revenue, everyone else supports sales folks-- again not a new model for Verizon--- so I don't agree that Network is so crucial unless it's to launch most fios options or something since we all know that FIOS and creating a verizon ecosystem means lower churn. So if your group helps launch more markets for that then probably not going to be as impacted based on the strategy. Strategy is fairly simple but elusive--- lower cost but continue to grow customer base through acquisition and lower churn --- network doesn't necessarily impact that to the point that it's defined by the customer cause we're way pass the "can you hear me now" days-- so really it;'s value prop (promos, vet discounts, bill matching, swithcher promos) and ensuring customer loyalty - obviously a sh-t network would make customers leave-- but to assume that we need so many people in network to keep it running is probably not realistic either.-- FIOS from what i know is the focus cause if they have service + FIOS the likelihood of them churning decreases so if you support fios expansion then yeah you're probably good

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Post ID: @aa+1kad0pjec

@a5 I wanna know this too!

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Post ID: @a9+1kad0pjec

@a5 only heard from one person from connect --- yo if you slacked me and we worked together back in the days then you know who I AM lol. and if that is you--- then you know the usual folks that contributed to summary above.

But if you aint-- only heard very high level specific to one group and they were just given a # that was about 15% of their org to get rid off but how they decide on who -- that person didn't specify cause they didn't know but was told that their leaders were given a number.

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Post ID: @a8+1kad0pjec

@a5: I am not the OP! Verizon Connect, to be divested, as the remaining synergies are only to be wireline and wireless and presumably forthcoming satellite.

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Post ID: @a7+1kad0pjec

Wireless Network Ops shouldn't be included in this layoff. We keep the network running for customers. We should be the last consider.

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Post ID: @a6+1kad0pjec

@OP have you heard anything about Verizon Connect?

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Post ID: @a5+1kad0pjec

Thanks for taking time to write your analysis!

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Post ID: @a4+1kad0pjec

2 MPs..

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Post ID: @a3+1kad0pjec

@a1 bahhahaa then you're probably one those impacted :P better learn how to use GEMINI if you wanna stay since you can't be bothered with data and info. Seen too many of you in my time here and you're taking up space. Most likely midlevel useless manager or someone in sales cause those people never wanna read. Welp, please rif yourself so for those that actually add value can stay.

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Post ID: @a2+1kad0pjec

We ain't reading all that AI slop.

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Post ID: @a1+1kad0pjec

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