I needed to address a post that I can’t seem to find where someone said that grade level 29’s don’t do any work and should be the first to be let go. While I can’t speak for all of Optum, I can speak for my dept. All of the 29’s in my dept are working leaders. We work along side our teams and have the same metrics to meet while we are also doing the work of our 30/31 leaders while they sit in meetings taking credit for our work. I suggest you start with Witty and look at his direct reports and their individual org charts and you will find how grossly top heavy we are with multiple CEO’s and VP’s with titles that sound the same. Don’t target what you don’t know.
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It definitely depends on where you work. I’m at WellMed, and there are SO MANY 29s, 30s, and 31s with zero direct reports. And no, these are not technical or individual contributor type roles. But those are somehow untouchable?
I think it's different for every department. I'm an individual contributor at a level 29. I consistently get 5's. I own a ton of high impact processes. My old manager (30) was a working manager. He coded alone side of us. My senior director (31) is continouslt fighting with my VP to get us more visibility and resources, my VP is useless. I don't even know what he does .. lol
I am 29 (UHC -MnR Optum tech) n I work my a-s off, have to deal with technical and non technical work, strategy, endless meetings and presentations. I think 31 are the ones that need to go. My manager 30 does not know anything technical n ruins my work but he at least works 8 hrs a day. 31 just sends IMs all day long about AI. No meaningful contribution
I’m 29 and it’s probably the worst grade to be. You’re still expected to be an IC which I am fine with but also do all your managerial duties and sell to business and continuously try to convince your director and sr director your team needs more staff or to not offshore everyone. It’s doing all the work getting none of the positive credit and taking all the heat if things don’t go as planned. I’ve been an EM at other companies and this is not normal. It’s especially not normal for a tech focused department to be led by tech illiterates who can’t go 1 minute without mentioning AI.
29 here – if you let us go, you’ll be losing not just a few quality resources, but also valuable time and quality of work. Meanwhile, the credit-stealers will be left scrambling, unable to deliver at the same level. It's the people doing the real work who keep things running smoothly, not those sitting in meetings taking credit.
This has become a non-american company who makes all revenue from the US but wants to import all services from non-us sources. God bless America where kids and their parents spend 100s of thousands $ to in education to find out they cannot find any job that pays inflation adjusted salary and have to compete with workforce whose college degree costs less than $10k.
I'm a 29 and an individual contributor. Hands on keyboard, technical work. Are most 29s managers or something?
Honestly, a manager can do a grade 29 work because that’s all it is is a glorified manager. At most companies that’s who does the work a manager. Not a working 29. Why pay a 29 more to do a managers work. Sorry.
29 here. We are the worker bees right along side of our staff. Not only do we have our own metrics to meet, which is pretty much doing the RVP‘s work, but we also have to know, fill-in, and work the overflow for our teams so that we can ensure that they have a great work life balance. The company would be really sc--wed if they got rid of the 29s. They are actually the management that keeps the entire company afloat from a supervisory level.
I'm a 29, I got a 5 rating. In June of 2024 my director retired and I basically did his work and my work for a full year
I am a 28, but the 29’s on my team are fantastic. They work along with us, do as much or more work, plus deal with garbage meetings. I would be devistated and job hunting if they were let go.
Thank you for your post. I’ve seen a few of these types of posts and I find myself a bit angry. I’m a 29 and I’m working the job of 3 people plus leading a team. Oh and I have to still have the bandwidth to think “strategically”. My team has a pretty good work/life balance, while I am working evenings and some weekends. I support my team having that ability to continue balancing work with their personal life. I wish I could say I have that same support.
I'm 29, I do job of two or more 28s and partial 30. I'm actually have to spoon feed some as they are in the mode of Tell me what to do. I don't have that luxury.