I've whipped myself into a frenzy anticipating layoffs next week. You'd think that by now we'd all be numb to this and learn to deal with it better. But every time the threat looms, which has become an increasingly frequent occurrence, I seem to have a harder time with it. This past week, I barely managed to focus on anything, or switch off for a moment once I'm back home. How do you cope?
36 replies (most recent on top)
@a7 You appear to be confused. Optum isn’t an insurance company.
@OP Try this
Plan that you will be let go in next hour. Wrap up. Everything else is a bonus, maybe bad for long term. Getting out will be sane approach. It’s a dumpster fire here.
Where does everyone get this 20% of Optum being RIF'd this week? That is a hugely insane number.
@gx absolutely! And it’s not skill based either. Like so many large US companies, they are laying off skilled technical staff. It’s all about the dollar spread. Yes, they know they lose internal innovation but they believe they can just ‘buy it’, reason companies like this ‘acquire’ so many companies.
Remember there is no India rocket program, they have to buy their rockets from Russia. They also have to get their high tech defense from Israel.
It’s our currency and the fact that other countries peg their currency to the USD/tax laws that causes this to not correct over time.
@e1 you are 100% correct. Corporate policies don’t know how to handle this and/or look the other way. It’s obvious they layoff non-India staff to replace them with their own people. Maybe it’s sold as ‘they know how to work with offshore’. It’s happening at a lot of big corporations, not limited to this company. It’s the reason non-India applicants cannot seem to get their foot in the door anymore. Try to apply to smaller companies that don’t have an offshore presence.
@e1 you should be more worried about the new CFO
@e5 💯
There is nothing you can do. Have your resume ready and enjoy your life.
@e1 what department can be both Optum and UHC?
@e5 I couldn't agree more.
@e I think if companies do business in America, their jobs should be in America period! No outsourcing of anything. How the he-l are we supposed to keep the economy going if they’re allowing all these major corporations to outsource all of our jobs?
How about some credible intel on what departments? OA, ECS, IT, Pop health, PSD? Will those booked 100% to a project for the foreseeable future be impacted?
@a3 Yeah, I was told majority of my dept in OPTUM/UHC would be replaced by offshore and there would be no significant packages offered. This has stressed me to no end.
I have a family that counts on my benefits and my paycheck.
New CEO is Indian Sandeep Dadlani (public Knowledge) of its Optum Insight division and he is taking the work to his country.. :(
@d6 I feel that. A lot of people talk big about hoping they get laid off but the reality for me was I could have been one of one from Optum/UHG applying to Twin Cities jobs in my area 6 months ago. Now I am almost certain the 15 others in my role or adjacent roles that were laid off with me are applying to every single job I am. I am getting nowhere and a few months severance for me is almost up.
State unemployment doesn’t finance much if your living on a professional income unless you short-sell your house.
@dg yes if anyone knows please share
No need for thumbs down, layoff format was a genuine question. It’s better to have some idea of what to expect given the circumstances.
@d9 I believe some of the employees in New Jersey got a video recording of their layoff via email. So nice! And so classy lol.
@d9 and to second this question, is it usually day of or you’ll see an invite a few days before?
How do they layoff? Email, individual contact, or last minute teams invite?
@d2 What department is this if you don't mind me saying?
I felt the stress too before being hit by the RIF last year. I don't know if waiting for the layoff or the aftermath was worse. I would recommend being resume ready and start applying before you are laid off. The market is not great depending on your skill set. Many large companies are laying off and salaries are getting smaller as companies try to absorb costs. I would have rather left on my own terms.
@d2 what division are you in? OI, OT, admin, marketing, patient-facing, coding?
@ad This is 1,000% correct. Those who imply the same groups will be hit month after month are incorrect. At this point, it just needs to be over. The division in which I work has had this on the radar since last September. My workplace is getting hit next Friday. There is zero chance it happens again in February or March unless it is a sweeping elimination of the division (including me). The HR team has repeatedly referred to this event as “unprecedented” and something they have “never seen in 15+ years with the company.” In Optum, 20% of the workforce will likely be job hunting (or relaxing) a week from today.
@cx well said!
@OP I wish I had some helpful advice, but it does the same thing to me. One minute I’m good the next minute full of anxiety. It’s getting hotter and hotter to focus and I feel like my productivity is going down. I think it’s disgusting to work for such a company that works there people at a fear and intimidation.If they do lay me off there’s no way in he-l. I’m gonna go back. All the years I’ve been working I have never ever worked for a company like this and I will never ever again. If I start a job and starts to feel like this place, I’m not gonna stay I will leave that job a lot sooner than I did this one.
“In times of great stress or adversity, it’s always best to keep busy, to plow your anger and your energy into something positive.” – Lee Iacocca
Get your F U money in order!
SD and SH don’t understand our business: remember when they were saying in the town hall in the fall they went UHG to become a social media company?
The new CFO seemed more focus on bragging about how fast he made partner at a BPO firm (and dunking on his little brother for some reason) than anything.
https://www.thelayoff.com/post/@f1+1kf1btwbj
Well acknowledged hat this occurs, next make sure you have a plan if you do get laid off. Get your finances in a row. Make sure you are able to take care of yourself financially.
Pay off as many things as you can. Don’t incur new debt and than wait. I prayed everyday and every year I get laid off. I acted as bad as I wanted to for years and no luck. One day I decided it just wasn’t going to happen and I quit. Best feeling in the world.
Not sure if it will help the OPs anxiety but, remember…there’s nothing you can do to change the outcome. The amount of prep-work that takes place for these RIFs is significant and is done over a period of weeks. If there are any layoffs announced this week…they've effectively already happened.
The only way I cope is by continuing to job hunt. I’ve been doing it for the past year off and on. I can’t stand this place and what it does to my mental health. It’s not a quick or convenient solution but it’s the only answer long term.
First you have to realize you’re working for an unethical insurance company that doesn’t even know who you are and doesn’t give a rats a-s about you. Next you need to mentally come to terms sooner rather than later your number will be called and have a plan to move forward with your life. This is a job nothing more. Show up do what you can and don’t lose no sleep over it and maybe you’ll get lucky and get another month or two out of this place . If you call that luck.
This is why corporate should be transparent, proactive, and confirm layoffs because it's a hit to productivity otherwise.
@OP Not to add insult to injury, but it may not be this Friday, but rather the next round. Or it may not affect you at all. However, their intention was to plant this very seed of anxiety that no one is safe and now deal with it.
Not helpful but I feel exactly the same way. Barely any time throughout the day that I don’t think about it or am planning for it in case it does happen. I wish it was happening Monday instead of Friday because it’s so difficult to focus on work and I’d rather just know sooner than later.