Just when you think you’ve settled into a corporate company that isn’t “just like all the others.”
I suppose that no one should be surprised that this is happening, regardless of what you thought of Allstate prior to Transformative Growth being announced. It’s cold hard corporate America leading the way, it always will be, and Allstate has just shown that they are just like everyone else. It’s comical that they call this a “family”, I suppose just like most of America it is. Dysfunctional, lacking empathy and selfish. We’ve had the word “culture” instilled in us over so many years, however, the last 4 months have shown that the “family” and “culture” are only propaganda in the Allstate dictionary.
It’s human to be emotional about this situation, especially when most of us dedicate a quarter of our years, if not more, to this company. To us, it is a family, not just a job. Some of us work outside our normal hours to make sure the job gets done and our customers are taken care of. Only to be left hanging for months on end not knowing if all the years we’ve put in, the tears we’ve shed, the long hours and dedication will be enough, if we’ll beat the “assessment.”
There is an amassable lack of care from the upper management team about their “family.” We have been led astray, given misinformation, blatantly lied to (no layoffs intended – June meeting) and given deadlines that haven’t been met. We are told and taught from day one regarding accountability, morals, ethics, empathy, sympathy and care. We MUST demonstrate these practices for the greater good of the company and our customers. Yet, we have not been provided reciprocity from our employer.
Transparency is yet another propaganda word, quite popular today in American business. Really, this is about giving just enough information to keep the masses at bay, while appearing like there is care, but really, you’re only being given the tip of the iceberg. They claim they aren’t lying, but really, they are.
They talk about “cutting the fat” to have a more streamlined, efficient, cost-effective model. If our ratio isn’t lean enough, why doesn’t upper management take a pay cut? They each are making millions in pay, stock options and bonuses. Why don’t they embrace the work from home structure, exponentially reducing real estate costs? We’ve shown it works over the last several months amidst Covid. Brick and Mortar is becoming extinct anyway, hence, Allstate Direct and the Transformative Growth Plan.
There are multitude of ways to have a leaner model. The question is, is this the right choice? From a business perspective, on paper, it may appear so. The problem is, and anyone with experience knows, what you put down on paper doesn’t always work out the way you want.
It occurs to me that there are larger problems lingering under the façade of Transformative Growth. A sign of a successful company is not abandoning its “family”, creating a narrative that serves the management’s interests, laying off its dedicated workers and creating a PR nightmare. It’s continuous hiring, happy employees, and evolution of the business model. These are the things that promote growth, happy customers and an efficient future.
In closing, it’s disappointing that a company so large, with so many resources, other companies to borrow efficiencies from, experience and success has to step over its own employees, the lifeblood of its operation; to fulfill their greed. Word on the street prior to this, was that Allstate was a great company to work for, for lifers, dedicated and hardworking people to retire from, “no one leaves Allstate voluntarily.” I guarantee after 2020, that that is no longer the word.
Sincerely,
Bob Crachit