For those that have to go to hubs, I’m curious to know what exactly is on that email sent to remote folks today? Are you getting a reduction in salary? Is that even legal?
39 replies (most recent on top)
@2h8 they said they wanted to be ... wait for it ... fair!
But then they go on to only bring geo codes D, E and F to C but NOT bump up A and B to C (for fairness).
Typical unapologetic hypocritical ba----ds!
Was there any justification given for the geocode change in email?
@14b yep, got the email and raised an eyebrow at the timing. They know what lies ahead based on changes being made.
LTI email should be general circulation now, a non solicitation agreement is required to collect LTI and if at garden 18 or above, you have to have a 30 - 60 notice of resignation in place before leaving or you lose all LTI and if retiring, you have a non competition provision that while receiving LTI, you are not also competing against U.S. Bank, sounds like the bank expects a lot of people to exit in 2026 and the bank would like not to pay severance or LTI as the continue onward
@118 this is a ridiculous statement. That's not what it takes to keep up with the cost of living. But the piddly 1-2% people have been getting is absolutely not keeping up and never has. By giving someone .5-1% less it could literally mean they get .5% raises in some cases. But yes please continue to make far fetched statements like that to try to prove a point.
@118 Question: Let's say, hypothetically, I am a WFH employee in geo zone A. My job is not market dependent, so I have flexibility to perform my work from anywhere. Should the bank be obligated to compensate me for my decision to move into a higher pay market? Alternatively, what if I was in a higher pay market and decided to move to a lower one?
@dd What your advocating for only works if everyone is paid significantly more like $200K - $300k on average. Otherwise, cost of living does matter and it makes sense that location matters. Cost of living evens out pay difference based on geo codes.
@112 was LTI and AIP regarding remote or changes for everyone?
What did the email about LTI and AIP say? I’m on paternity leave right now and don’t have systems access.
You can sense the desperation in the email ans the inexplicable circumstances connected to these desperate measures, the managing committee isn't very forthcoming on the bad stuff in the closet that no one wants to talk about but will be here next summer.The emails regarding LTI and what is left of AIP will be worse than the pension repositioning. (that's why we got the thank you today, because it will be fork you tomorrow and next week as well.
Was there any justification provided for this change in the email?
@dd life is getting more expensive for everyone and remote employees deserve raises that don't set them below keeping up with COL. Period. Just because someone isn't in a hub market doesn't mean that their taxes and insurance don't also go up every year.
We can agree to disagree but you're agreeing with deceptive and straight up unethical treatment of employees.
@dd yeah but notice they aren't bringing people and geo a or b up to a c, only bringing down folks in def.
@e0 USB is not a cost of living employer, it’s a cost of labor employer! Meaning the market rate for the skills and supply in the area. This is why you don’t see cost of living adjustments.
Now, people who live in high cost of living areas generally have high skill and there is often ample supply.
But it’s why you see these adjustments for remote work - they are playing off the cost of labor (factoring remote workers in that area for that skill).
@e0 Reading comprehension mustn't be your strong suit. I clearly mentioned that this is a fair wage for remote workers with no ties to a specific market, smh
@d3
"it also doesn't answer my question about why you feel you deserve to be in a higher pay bracket then your counterpart doing the same job in a lower cost of living market." ................... I am so confused by is. Do you not understand how job markets work? People in NY make more than somene in South Dakota. The market dictates the wage rate. Who would work for Ohio wages in San Francisco? The average house in Ohio is 200k, vs 800-900k in California. Common sense goes a long way
@dd it’s responses like that which sets the status quo we are in now. Your are supposed to advocate for me and I for you as fellow employees. You should be upset they are paying remote workers less , and remote workers should advocate for in office worked to be paid more as well. We sit and fight amongst each other while billions are made off are backs but narrow minded follow the rule dou--e flutes can’t get masters Johnson out their mouths ..👄
@d7 I know cost of living is going up. That's true for everyone, everywhere. I'm just of the mindset, in the remote work landscape, you should get paid for your job function and your performance, not based on where you live.
In office roles or roles that require your presence in a market are completely different.
I understand that this moves the goalposts for a lot of people. And I realize that many feel this as unfair. I would argue the opposite is unfair as well. Should an outstanding remote worker in Mississippi or Kentucky that works circles around a bottom tier remote employee in California or NY get paid less for doing more work when they report to the same manager? We're in a completely different wfh world post-covid and this is something where I can understand the change.
We'll have to agree to disagree.
@d7 Not only did they give the thumbs up to go remote and relocate anywhere in the country, including locations without a USB footprint, they encouraged it. Task committees were established to coordinate office space consolidation, including partner cube sharing for people that CHOSE to work in office 2-3 days a week.
Approximately half of my team moved out of MN at that time, and we attracted and hired many new talented employees from outside of the footprint. Employee engagement, satisfaction, productivity, and talent density were at an all time high.
Then RKD retired in 2018 and the destruction began shortly thereafter.
@d3 thing is, everyone's cost of living is going up. Nobody deserves to have basically stagnant wages because the bank flipped the script on people who were remote long before COVID. If the bank had any intention of sending people back to the office they should have been transparent about that from the start. They changed their hiring strategy YEARS ago and hired out of our physical footprint. This isn't just remote workers from COVID. They also gave people the thumbs up without contingencies to move out of physical locations and then back tracked. They're now punishing those employees for their own policies. It's unethical and really really awful.
Clarifying my post:
... shouldn't be classified as remote and "should receive the proper geo pay"
@cw Easy fix. Reclassify as office based and commute to work 3 days per week.
@cq I was the person that posed the South Dakota/LA example. I sympathize with and understand your example. In your special instance, iimo f the job forces you to be located in that market and requires any in office work, then you shouldn't be classified as remote with the proper geo pay.
I strongly assume that is more of the exception though as most wfh people's jobs can be performed from anywhere and there isn't any bank reason you live where you do.
I also understand a lot people didn't have the choice since their market didn't receive a hub. That's unfortunate and unfair, but you also have the perk of not having the expense and inconvenience of going into an office. it also doesn't answer my question about why you feel you deserve to be in a higher pay bracket then your counterpart doing the same job in a lower cost of living market.
@cw this right here says it all, there was no transparency with this transition. Granted, maybe they hadn't thought it all the way through when they started RTO and classified people as remote purely based off of distance from the nearest hub. Then give remote workers the chance to commute into their nearest hub. I know someone who just took a hybrid position that travels two hours each way. That is their prerogative. But downgrading the pay scale and possible little to no raises/bonuses without even an option of RTO when they push so hard for RTO??? Make it make sense.
This on top of the Needs Improvement ratings, on top of freezing the older pension plans, on top of Sapience, on top of this, on top of that..... I'm f'n tired
@OP The writing is on the wall. Remote employees have zero advancement opportunities. The new geo code has a lower salary ceiling range than others. You will be in a 'higher point' on the new geocode salary range. What hapoens when you hit the salary range ceiling but cant get promoted unless you are in a 'hub'?
The new geo code has its own bonus pool, which is likely less. Remote employees will see a lower performance increase than the same person doing the same work 'in office'
This is a ploy to get people to quit IMO. If this does not work, i can see forcing RTO. The fact they just announced this and applying it to the upcoming performance review it b.s. There a lot of remote emloyees in management and upper management. These 'all hands' meetings are a joke. They sit, smile and pat each other on the back. They really mean 'F remote workers'....how can we get them to quit so we don't have to pay severence. Disgusting. Many of us were hired remote.
Also remember that earlier in the year some people, contradictory to the proclaimed return to office push, were automatically reclassified as remote based on the perceived commute distance (with no management warning or input).
@ck the bank required the location to be in the LA hub specifically the DTLA location due to time zone alignment with international partners. Home based with required office visit when senior leadership request. and collaboration needs with existing day team. I was promoted recruiter explained I would move from C to E geo code because LA is not MPLS and wages are based of market rate not cost of living anyway so explain to me why my pay band should abruptly change right before merit and year end reviews..
If your job can be performed from anywhere, and if the bank does not require you to work out of a specific office, why should you get paid more based on where you choose to live?
It's a serious question. Help me understand from an unbiased perspective, why someone that performs the same job duties and lives in South Dakota earns less than someone that chooses to live just outside the hub zone of LA.
@bg I’d gladly go into the office but I work remotely overnight 8pm start time , when the office nearest me is closed so I’m forced to take a 2 grade location demotion because the building is locked when I start work ?!
@b3 well if you live in Los Angeles, then you shouldn’t be remote. There’s plenty of offices in that area. Pick one.
My initial read of the email was a reduction in salary. After doing some digging and re-reading it appears that current pay will not be reduced but the range I’m eligible for will be limited to C.
Also, it did make me wonder if the remote employees were limited to ‘meaningful’ performance instead of exceptional. Further limiting pay increase opportunities for remote.
@b3 I’ll join you and I’m making voodoo dolls of all of them and will stick needles in them that’s how pi---d they got me.
@a7 speaking as a remote employee who recently located for Minneapolis to Los Angeles I want to hold a all employee call with the entire C suite have them look me in the face an tell me how this makes sense listen to their PR Bull S*** and sp-t in their face as they’ve done us ..
@ay I plan to ask this week. I received the email today.
@a4 Do remote employees have option to return to office 3x a week in 2026 to have base salary geocodes D/E/F reinstated?
I never got the email and I'm remote. Strange...
It basically said: We hate you remote employees… that’s what I read between the lines. No raises going forward. I’m already at almost the end of pay scale so being downgraded to C will sc--w me over big time.
Speaking as a remote employee living in WI, not a big deal. Now if I was a remote employee living in CA, I may feel a bit differently!
Our current base salary remains unchanged, but all remote employees are being reassigned to geographical pay grade C, regardless of their location. So, if you're a D, E or F, your future salary is pretty much stalled if you are at the mid to high end of your current bracket. Just one more thing they're doing to get us to quit :(