Thread regarding AT&T layoffs

I’ve worked for small companies and they were awesome! They had better benefits and pay than T. The downside is when the project is done, your job is too. Usually, if they know it’s coming they will try to find something else. I loved a couple of those jobs and was sad they ended.

As others have stated, smaller companies tend to have their cliques and your immediate boss basically has the final say in everything from A to Z. Small companies I've worked for were very stingy with pay raises and benefits and typically paid less than a larger corporation would for the same job. OSHA regulations were non-existent, or ignored with no consequences. Se-ual harassment was common. Families promoted from within regardless of job qualifications or competency. Most positions came with little or no hope of advancement unless you were friends or family with the owners. I'd rather work for a larger corporation over a small business any day of the week.

I came to AT&T after having worked at a couple small companies (I'm retired now as of last Winter.) I agree with the poster who said the grass is not greener there. There are pluses and minuses with either one. On the small company side, I had no pension and the 401k in one case had zero employer contribution and a very tiny one in the other case.

Company politics were AWFUL in both places. One was a family owned business and you had to be VERY careful to never offend ANY of the owners. The other was not family owned, but the owners/long time employees were a closed clique. At either place, if anything went south - and things did at both places - if you were not part of the family or the "in" group, you could easily find yourself thrown under the bus.

Pay raises were tiny and infrequent. One woman at the first company I worked at had not had a raise in 10 years because the owner (a millionaire several times over) decided he was paying her "all she's worth to the company."

No union at either place, so you are 100% at the mercy of "the boss." Your job was subject to being ended or changed on a whim, as was your salary, hours, vacation time, benefits, etc.

The second small company I worked for went bankrupt and folded rather suddenly. They'd lied to us for months about how we were doing and suddenly in a matter of less than six months, about 240 of 250 employess had no jobs. The others went to work for the sweatshop that picked up the pieces of what was left of the company.

Now there WERE good things as well - You got to interact with management all the way to the top, so they knew who you were and what you were contributing. When things were going well, that was usually a good thing. It felt less impersonal than a big corporation like AT&T, but you also knew you were never likely to be part of the inner circle unless you were making them REALLY big money.

On the whole, I ended up with a MUCH better retirement from working at AT&T (although I sweated out YEARS of surpluses) than I ever would have had working for the smaller companies. That's something to look at depending on your age and how far from retiring you are.

So as has been pointed out, there are good and bad points on both sides. Just don't be looking for nirvana if you make the jump. It might work out very well for you, but small company does not automatically translate into better place to work.

I left a small company for AT&T. Grass is not greener on that side either.

Small company decided to stop holiday pay. Never told anyone and found out on next paycheck. Reduced vacation days, again after taking them. Stopped covering family on the health insurance. Put earning quotas on techs.

The mission statement was make me (the owner) money regardless how bad you sc--w over the customer. The guy use to own a used car dealer.

Small company went under about a year after I left.

It sucks everwhere

I’ll leave on the day I get my MR75. Already making plans to leave in 3 years. I already have offers to leave but until I hit that date, I’m staying. Then take the rest of my vacation and I’m on to another company with double my pay. ATT is not where I want to contribute my time and effort in the future.
This place has become a zoo run by the snakes.

Harder to slack off at a small company. And people get tire of the whining more quicker.