I go to the office, do my work, and then go home and forget about it until 9am the next day. No one bothers me, pay and bonuses are decent. I don't allow myself to be drawn into drama. I am here for a paycheck, nothing more. A common theme on this forum is you've allowed your lives to become a soap opera. Let go of the drama. AT&T doesn't care what opinion you have about Policy. They ignore employees, so just ignore the distractions they create. Focus on the paycheck. Let it go.
41 replies (most recent on top)
STANDING OVATION.
When I first was asked to work from home in the wake of 9/11, I took the challenge seriously. I set up a home office, dusted off monitors to help with the swivel-chair work that was my job at the time, and was present with my group on Q, conference calls, and Netmeeting (remember that?!) for the whole work day.
I didn't have to drive two hours a day just to sit at a desk and do exactly the same thing. My team was spread across the country, hundreds of miles apart.
There were a couple of Level 3s and 4s who briefly ended up in my chain of command and who demanded time in office, so I dutifully went into the CO and sat in a cube shared with the local Lexmark printer. An operator supervisor, property manager, and a billing specialist—jobs with which I had zero collaborative overlap—we my office mates. I suppose I did benefit by asking "what is it that you do?" curiosity questions, but that was over and done by day 2.
Then the Level 4 himself was over and done two weeks later, and the new guy said "Don't care where, just the what and how" and I was back to my home office.
The DRAMA comes from having been successful in a job, earning Connection bonuses, promotions, and developing strong ties with people in three time zones to having to drive into an office for an hour, pay out of pocket for vehicle and parking expenses, sit at an inferior workstation that as some here have noted best be "wiped down" before use, and then drive home for an hour.
The DRAMA comes from my child's school, which required an in person pickup. The school is a 5 minute walk from our house; we bought the house for that reason. Suddenly I'm having to pay up for aftercare while trying to explain why to my child he has to stay "with the babies," and failing hard.
The DRAMA comes from having set up an office at my own expense with multiple monitors, a Herman Miller chair, and standing desk to the remote corner of a dark CO with an inferior intranet connection (installed at $20K expense just for my two-week tenure in the office!) , a busted old conference room chair, and extra monitor.
I might as well be working at a Motel 6.
If you're close to an office, don't have children or elders, I get how you wouldn't understand the DRAMA. Just keep in mind that one of the BoD installed a full blown nursery at the office for her baby when she was CEO of Yahoo! These leaders don't' give a wh-t about the lives of their minions.
Don't like it, get out and we'll load the work up on those who stay behind. As for me, I don't miss the drama, at all.
Who wrote this C Anthony?
Let me guess. You are a single man with no life.
Extremely low IQ's
Now I am not understanding all the drama. OP created a idyllic place for himself and suggested others seek the same. Why is everyone so triggered?
OP strike a nerve, Buttercup?
NO, THE ONE TROLLING IS THE @OP AND THIS SAMW @OP OR HIS SOULMATE STARTED ANOTHER TROLLING POST TODAY.
"I don't get the drama" so they get people to genuinely respond, and then get an ego boost from having good people respond to their bs-ing.
I hope the moderators delete things like this. Add nothing to the conversation, they just like to laugh at people.
Go ahead, downvote me.
“ These disgruntled employees ranting anonymously are not sending the message they think they are sending. The Public sees AT&T still has unfit employees.”
Nah.the public, or the job seeker or whoever …sees unhappy employees, and they correlate that to the 567 out of 600 culture ranking that they also see.
So 4 times you were considered trash?
8 and skate, it can wait. FYI, just keep to yourself and smile f-k as needed. I was honest, signed my name and I am now gone. Just some non survivor advise.
First day on the internet, OP? You do realize 90% of the posts here are just people trolling.
OP I also dooes not understand said drama. On one of hand, we can lack freedom of the flexing. On other right hand, we can make codings with team and do github check in with much of speed. It is trading off tings, riiight? If each of every employee dooes embrace of said policy, we can go to much increasing of stock price. This also can be good for each of every said employee.
@dc I think one should first ensure they fully comprehend a comment before replying to it. It just works out better that way.
One of my friends was asked to move (typical RTO thing), he couldn't because he's got two ill parents. Has been trying to look for a job for the past 8 months. Once in a while, he complains. The time that is left, he volunteers. In his volunteering he's become quite a leader.
We have a neighbor working for another company, he's just doing his best trying to handle a wife that has depression and raises two young kids, the job is frustrating and he wants to talk whenever we see him. It helps him. Searching for a job, but it's also taken time.
My entire and only point is that I don't think we should generalize like that, maybe some are like you said, no doubt, absolutely no doubt, but I wouldn't want to say "all of them" or "everyone".
It is nothing more than false bravado. Everyone knows they have been assimilated to the office environment. They come here hoping to project toughness when in reality they lack the nads to stand up to authority in any meaningful way. More than not are losers on the social spectrum. Pathetic, and not worthy of sympathy.
“ AT&T is not a charity or a social services program.”
You’re correct, it isn’t those things. It IS a 3rd rate joke of its former self. (Mis)lead by avowed Machiavellian, sociopathic megalomaniacs. Be that as it may, it’s just a paycheck & some (mediocre) benefits to us worker bees. Eight & skate.
You must be a very unappealing person for co-workers to allow you to just work without trying to make you their emotional support dog. I'm happy for you.
Top management = free loaders with a title!
I understood your comment as simply saying that this site is about layoffs and jobs being threatened, so that's why the content is geared towards that.
So calling it drama is an interesting choice of words. It would be like going to a site focusing on divorces, and asking people why do they keep talking about their spouses and complaining about them? I don't know if the example is the best, but it's just to give an idea.
I also think that some people that complain or vent can be both, good or bad/freeloaders. Equality true, people that "just come to put in the hours and that's it" can be also good or bad. So, it all depends on the person and circumstances. Don't think we can always claim, everyone is like this or like that?
At the end of the day, I don't think that anyone here disagrees with the fact that AT&T stopped caring about employees a long time ago and that the executive team s u c k s.
567 - 567 - 567
@cj Long term freeloaders are NOT being held accountable. Most are forced into offices, but are still not doing productive work. AT&T wants to cut expenses through headcount reduction alone. Real savings will only be realized when they finally trim the low hanging fruit, those employees who cost the company 30x more than what the employee contributes to the bottom line.
Long term freeloaders now being held more accountable for full-time hours were obviously never going to embrace change.
Amen.
Come to work, do your job well and let the rest of company bs ne part
Of someone else’s life.
I made the choice to relocate years ago on my dime. I’m still happy with the decision, but I understand at anytime the company may send me packing.
If you hang onto the job because you live in an area where there are no good jobs outside of T and you don’t want to relocate or RTO, face the facts- improve your skills or be okay with potentially being layed off. From there, live your life.
Soap Opera describes it perfectly. Love coming here to read the drama of people lacking the skills and fortitude to leave a work environment they find so unbearable, especially those who are going to "force leadership to change". These disgruntled employees ranting anonymously are not sending the message they think they are sending. The Public sees AT&T still has unfit employees.
This is a high quality post! Well stated.
There is no “drama”.
Like you, the only thing I care about is that check going into my account.
That said I will also continue to call T Leadership out at every opportunity, for their horrible leadership and culture that they have created.
567 and dropping .
On a professional level I look forward to the coming 5% layoff of the remaining employee base headcount, and I applaud the new focus on terminate-for-cause for the Detractors. Let them leave with empty pockets if they don't want to be team players. They've been a burden for too long.
Sounds like OP is paraphrasing Plato: "The man who makes everything that leads to happiness depend upon himself, and not upon other men, has adopted the very best plan for living happily."
@c3 Perhaps it is you who should go elsewhere if you think every comment is directed at you personally. Sometimes the truth stings.
There s always someone like the @OP coming to a site about layoffs that wants to play mature and talk down on people "I don't understand why you are so childish", "I've got it super clear, just do your job, don't be dramatic", and many other versions of it.
This site is about layoffs, that's what people talk about, and they vent, it's healthy to vent and share experiences.
If you don't want to hear it, @OP just go to the gym and forget to come to layoffs.com then.
I love when people come to a site like this to "wonder why people talk about layoffs and losing jobs, and how they are supposed to chill" LOL
"in my long history with AT&T, I was given the surplus notice 4 times. And survived by getting another job internally"
Now when the trash is taken out it doesn't come back into the house
ME TOO! I don't want to be promoted or do interesting things in my carreer I just want to come to work and see who Stankey blames for his purchases this week.
AT&T is amazing I love it here!
@bv
Thank you for stating it so clearly. I've long tried to understand the difference between what I see every day in the office and the attitudes shown here. It really does come down to individual maturity and professionalism.
@OP I suspect you are somewhat young and aren't aware of the 'good old days' when yes, we'd go into the office every day, but we had assigned cubes with walls and desk phones. Our teams and bosses were co-located with us, not all over the U.S. There was a huge focus on ensuring employees were 'engaged' (and it wasn't just talk). If there was a layoff (which was infrequent), people were notified in advance - 60 days' notice was 'the usual' at one time. This gave people time to find another work option. Or better yet, your leadership 'found' alternative options so you had a choice. How do I know - in my long history with AT&T, I was given the surplus notice 4 times. And survived by getting another job internally. But now, it's different. It's two weeks' notice. And happening all the time. It's psychologically stressful to always feel you could be 'next'. Whereas you once felt secure in knowing you'd have a job long-term, that's no longer true. Where you once had a 'home away from home' that you could decorate with family pictures, now it's 'find an open spot' and wipe it down. And also, there's the presence report that depends on badge swipes. We're being micromanaged in the name of 'productivity'. Also, everything must be 'scheduled' in advance - doctor visits and whatnot. That didn't used to be a problem - especially when working from home. SMH. This is why 'the drama' exists.
@OP Wish all of my Reports had gained your perspective. The most time consuming element I deal with each week is immaturity.
This is what I just heard from OP
“OBEY”
What you fail to understand is that even though throughout your life you have consistently rolled over and allowed others to disrespect you, there are others who don’t accept that. Some of us have courage and a will to defend ourselves.
You bending over and I’ll keep fighting
I guess the OP has no trouble working in open spaces with a headphone just to be able to concentrate and can find a parking space and desk every day
AT&T is not a charity or a social services program. Or even your career home. You're a number. We all are. Once you can get past that and make peace with - it gets a lot easier.
A lot of incompetent but kissers in the company mainly in leadership positions.