Thread regarding Optum layoffs

It’s a vicious cycle when leaders are managing by seats of the pants(or skirts).

1. Brought contractors to augment the overworked FTE.
2. RIFs to rid of FTE
3. Bottom line looks good? No
4. Outsourced/Offshored
5. Ooops! Fines/lawsuits?
6. We forgot - let’s rid off the contractors
7. Let’s bring in more oversea leaders - scape goats

Repeat the above playbook over and over again … Dilbert comic strip looks pale comparing to what we are going through at this org- sadly !!

I know from good source all contractors except wipro and 2-3 other companies, will be let go and replaced with contractors from an optum preselected list of contracting companies. Wipro is one of those preselected. This will happen no later than by end of year. I would suggest if you are not an fte, you start looking elsewhere before you are asked to train your replacement

I don't think they really care if they lose customers, but the executives that make all these decisions just drop all the responsibility on to middle/lower management to "make it work." And what choice do they have? There is an incredibly aggressive push to lower costs no matter what. Those that make these decisions don't know what they don't know. You can't take people off the street, put them through in-house training, give them a script-book, and Google and expect them to perform the same as people with even 5+ years experience, let alone 20+. Yet, that is what they do, and they are fully insulated from their choices by a thick layer of bootlickers.

Optum is going to lose clients if they layoff everyone and send our jobs offshore

Major rounds of layoffs are on the horizon. Buckle up, it will continue to be a very bumpy ride. No one should feel they are safe; no one is safe at all except the millionaires at the top!

What onshore contractors are even left? I'm one of them but aware my end is not far off. Almost all of the contractors from my company were already laid off over the last few months.

But FTE’s not impacted as much, correct?

Contractors 100% confirmed and information is given to all. FTEs also will be impacted if not on 5th it will be on 19th.

So most of the impact will be around contractors? Not FTE?

@vfl+1oO6mK4S An offshore employee my ar-e. You are the same disgruntled US ex-employee who posts 5-10 times a day.

I can confirm that offshore contractors are being let go too (I am one of them). I was also told from agency whom deals with Optum and UHC that all the contracts and contingent workers will not have contract renewals or extensions. There is also a global hiring freeze in UHG. Offers that have gone out to new joinees have been rescinded or are in limbo for approval from hire-ups. It is a complete and utter sh-t show.

Believe what you want - you can talk about offshoring as the cause for it but it isn't - it's the poor cancerous leadership this company has at it's core that has always been there that has run it into the ground. They got lucky with Covid and the boon of profits that came from it but now are in the hole with little to show for all the hiring and spending they have undertaken in the last 3 years. Several data breaches, PBM licensing issues with some states, rebate spread margin getting significantly smaller and the zealous over-hiring practices in the last 18 months have caused significant pressure on finances.

My advice to anyone still there is to get out if you can and find a more secure job. If you cannot, keep your head down and with luck, you might make it through.

Next 6 months are going to be very grim. Q4 2023 and Q1 2024 will see big restructuring.

Also heard from a recent planning meeting of the major reduction of onshore IT contractors in Q4.

Watch for these dates - 10/5 & 10/19

Mentioned in another post, but close to 1000 contractors are going to be cut and backfilled with the endless hordes of offshore (mix of all tech roles).