Thread regarding Cigna layoffs

Life After Cigna

I worked at Cigna for a decade and planned to retire from the company. I didn’t realize how negatively the job was impacting me until I voluntarily left.

I held multiple roles across the company in my tenure. Upon reflection, the place was not healthy for me from almost the start. I didn’t see it until recently. I told myself the company changed after Evernorth but the truth is that it was an unending line of terrible managing directors and co-workers with bad intent from the start. Too many of them to count. There are pockets of good folks but the a--holes run amok and always have. Yes, it got worse over time but it was never ideal. I’m resilient and strong. I looked inward at myself. I gave people the benefit of the doubt. It was a waste of time.

The corporate hacks that come on this site putting down people for expressing distress with the work environment are prime examples of the toxicity running through the bowels of Cigna/Evernorth. The dismissiveness, the gas lighting, and failure to acknowledge the fear all these layoffs has caused reminds me of why I left.

You are not imagining all this. Cigna is a terrible place for mental health. It was never good and has only gotten worse. I know it’s tempting to hang on for a package especially if you are close to retirement. Is your mental health worth all this? The job market su-ks but you can find something else and it is better elsewhere especially if you have soured on the company. Nothing they do can change the toxic environment any time soon. It was always bad. Now it is worse. Self care looks like a hard job hunt sometimes. Do it for yourself. I promise that you won’t regret it.

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| 3163 views | | 18 replies (last March 11) | Reply
Post ID: @OP+1jvkw7kf0

18 replies (most recent on top)

@19wh that’s where I’m at. I have a control freak manager now who causes me nothing but stress. I wanted the severance so I could have a break from the burnout.

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Post ID: @1a0e+1jvkw7kf0

I worked for Cigna for almost 20 years and hated nearly every moment of it. But I was cash strapped and needed to work. The days rolled into each other and then the years. I was pressured to add pronouns to my email signature and that was the final straw for me. Plus my new manager was a horrible human who had to stick her nose in everyone's business. She wasn't a manager; she was a control freak. Glad I quit when I did. Only thing I miss is the paycheck.

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Post ID: @19wh+1jvkw7kf0

@qa hahahahahahah. cry more.

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Post ID: @19wg+1jvkw7kf0

I was planning to "stick it out" to retirement (in about 3 years) but my role was eliminated last year. It's all bs though, because I saw lots of similar roles being hired for. My manager - who was the absolute worst - wanted me out. Based on their LinkedIn profile, they don't even have a bachelor's degree, nor ANY experience in the area of expertise of the team they were given to manage. Yet somehow this person was an expert who could tell a team of professionals - some with 30 years of experience - how to do their work. This person wouldn't listen. They were mean, rude and treated us like children. So I'm actually pretty happy to no longer work with this individual Overall, I agree with the OP. I probably only had two good bosses out of the five I worked for over the years. And that's not even counting my horrible, hyper-hierarchical internal clients and the HORRIBLE HR PERSON who clearly was only ever there for managers. So being pushed out did me a favor. I found something else a million times more interesting, and I was able to negotiate for 25 days vacation to start. Losing the PTO that came with long tenure was a key reason I didn't want to leave Cigna. But I ended up being better off, because I get vacation, sick and personal time. And the company shuts down between Christmas and New Years!! But the most important thing is I'm working with a team of highly intelligent, skilled and KIND people. Everyone is respectful of one another, and they all trust you to get your work done without micromanaging your time. I can literally come and go as I please. I just let them know. I don't have to ask. I had hoped to retire early and get out of Cigna asap, but now, I'm liking this new role so much I may want to keep working.

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Post ID: @1xd+1jvkw7kf0

RE: Wow, what a bunch of self centered whiners on this site. I worked at cigna in IT for 43 years and made the best of it to retirement - through hard work and perseverance and solving problems when required …

how dare you assume that those people here who are sharing their frustrations are not hardworking, do not persevere and not good at solving problems. how dare you.

their feelings are valid. stop gaslighting them.
im glad ur no longer at cigna. it’s toxic people like you that gives off bad juju at cigna.

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Post ID: @qa+1jvkw7kf0

RE: Don't you all see? We have been given the keys to long‐term success at Cigna. It's a simple three step program

hard work
perseverance
solving problems when required
If you ever have any problems here, you just aren't applying those principles strongly enough. Simple as that.

come back and say this again after you get laid off on the bext wave

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Post ID: @q9+1jvkw7kf0

“ Don't you all see? We have been given the keys to long‐term success at Cigna. It's a simple three step program

hard work
perseverance
solving problems when required
If you ever have any problems here, you just aren't applying those principles strongly enough. Simple as that.”

I applied all those principles for years and it got me nowhere because I don’t kiss a-s. I’m nice but no brown noser. I was highly effective at my job. One of the best. It meant NOTHING in the end.

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Post ID: @pj+1jvkw7kf0

hard work
perseverance
solving problems when required
LAID OFF ANYWAY…we lost some of our best performers who did all the above and more.

The real secret to success at Cigna is:
KISS your managers a-s
Cultivate a perception that you buy into culture and are a team player rockstar
Don’t do anything of significance then take credit for others work
Get promoted by kissing your managers managers a-s
Have a bald shaved head, short, white, and male
Wear a plaid button down shirt, fleece vest, light tight jeans, and sneakers that look like dress shoes
Scapegoat your peers

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Post ID: @n0+1jvkw7kf0

But what about those that solve problems even though it's not required? No future for them?

Seems like acting proactively would be desired and rewarded. I guess not, at least here at Cigna.

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Post ID: @kw+1jvkw7kf0

Don't you all see? We have been given the keys to long‐term success at Cigna. It's a simple three step program

  • hard work
  • perseverance
  • solving problems when required

If you ever have any problems here, you just aren't applying those principles strongly enough. Simple as that.

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Post ID: @kk+1jvkw7kf0

“ Wow, what a bunch of self centered whiners on this site. I worked at cigna in IT for 43 years and made the best of it to retirement - through hard work and perseverance and solving problems when required …”

Is this how you talk to your co-workers? So toxic.

Maybe you simply lack ambition to do better. People with attitudes like yours are the reason folks are miserable at Cigna.

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Post ID: @hw+1jvkw7kf0

You did? Marvelous.

You think the Cigna from 40+ years ago is anything like today?

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Post ID: @h9+1jvkw7kf0

This is almost my exact story. I don't miss it at all. There's much better out there even if this is a tough time to find it.

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Post ID: @h4+1jvkw7kf0

Wow, what a bunch of self centered whiners on this site. I worked at cigna in IT for 43 years and made the best of it to retirement - through hard work and perseverance and solving problems when required …

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Post ID: @gz+1jvkw7kf0

I am happy for you. But can you help on how found a job in this market ? Network / Job sites/ Niche skills ? I feel so dire. Was laid of 6 months ago but didn’t land anything yet. It’s brutal. Tried everything from resume building, networking, curated covers but didn’t land anything yet.

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Post ID: @d9+1jvkw7kf0

Agree. Was JE’d recently and you would think I’d be upset. I haven’t felt this good in years. Dropped 6 lbs of weight, my mental health has improved significantly, I have motivation. It truly was a toxic environment.

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Post ID: @d7+1jvkw7kf0

Gosh, I could have written the sentiment of the post myself. I thought I would retire at Cigna. My mental health is suffering. It’s a toxic company and it gets worse every year. My manager buries his head in the sand and refuses to acknowledge the dysfunction on our team. As a general observation, plenty of poor performers are getting promotions, left and right, plenty of high band fours who are utterly useless, and no accountability for low performing peers. I am cross-trained, a high performer, and my manager’s “back up,” yet I still have not been able to get out of a high band three role. Staying at Cigna has done absolutely nothing for my career. If I could redo it, I would have left sooner.

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Post ID: @ct+1jvkw7kf0

You hear that a lot, “always assume positive intent.” As if we are the problem. If you find yourself consistently, week after week, being reminded by your leaders who are not willing to address toxic employees and work environments, that you should “always assume positive intent,” maybe, it’s actually something else. Not all intent is positive. And not all leaders give a damn if you’re in a toxic environment. Glad to hear you made it out OP, many of us are right behind you.

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Post ID: @ak+1jvkw7kf0

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