Thread regarding Crown Castle International Corp. layoffs

I think this merger will work well if Zayo let’s CC fiber operate as a separate wing under the Zayo Umbrella. It’s going to be interesting to see if employees that are paid hourly are moved to salary to cut OT. Operations currently is operating with Skeleton crews staffing. Guess is that most layoffs will be at corporate level where duplication of roles currently exist like HR, Purchasing etc. Middle Management will be flatlined completely. Some jobs will be lost to Ai. People who are in critical roles will be offered retention to stay with new company for a couple of years. Building networks is super capital intensive. Zayo could reduce staff and hire 3rd party contract labor to reduce costs.

Everyone has an individual decision to make. Comparing one plan to another is just a waste of time. Its really not even a decision because you're getting what you're getting. Most people w RSUs and most people that are getting 4 months pay sum up to equally the same. This whole thread is nonsense. each person needs to do their own math and guess what it does t matter because you can't change it. A few people would be better off in a diff group bet that's it. Stop. Just stop.

Agreed, Retention Incentive shouldn’t be non-vested RSU’s they should be in addition and retention be the same.
*** Be kind to people, no judgement people’s livelihood and incomes are changing.

They should give all perimeters the 4 months pay as retention, and those with unvested RSUs, they are supposed to 'get' anyway, so that should vest at closed as well.

That makes more sense in terms of retention for all.

And those part of towers, why even ask for retention, you aren't part of this business line.

Don’t call people mo--ns, have some class and empathy.

Um RSUs are also taxed most often as ordinary income and bonuses are taxed as bonuses. In my case early RSU vesting works out much better. Its not as black and white as the person posting the 500 word dissertations would have you believe. Fact is they don't have to offer anybody anything legally, ethically or morally. There's a years notice, stay or dont. I'm sure, however, the cost of it all is/was baked into the sales price and all parties agreed. I'm also sure they expect a fair amount of people to jump ship for which they'll have a plan.

RSU received at end of 2023 wouldn't normally be vested until end of '26 and at end of '24 would be '27. Both vesting at end of '25 is a 3 year pickup. That's 45 - 75%. You do the math m*ron.

Do the math, 4 months is 33% and past compensation statement rsu’s 15-20% plus with the dips in value they may be even less so NOT the same and it’s the ultimate regifting move to disguise them as retention incentives because that’s not what LTI’s are.

From both a corporate strategy and legal equity standpoint, it’s hard to rationalize a retention framework that excludes the majority of impacted employees during an active divestiture of two business units. RSUs, by definition, are performance-based long-term incentives awarded for prior-year contributions. They are not designed—nor should they be repurposed—as a substitute for a true retention incentive during a forced transition.

Using fluctuating, market-dependent RSUs in place of a defined retention bonus (e.g., four months’ salary) that others are receiving creates a fundamental imbalance. Many of those being divested—through no choice of their own—are being asked to stay, take on increased workload, and stabilize operations, yet are offered no severance assurance, no job protection, and no guaranteed financial incentive for doing so.

Meanwhile, others in past reorganizations were able to depart—voluntarily or involuntarily—with retention of RSUs and/or larger severance packages. The current approach neither rewards loyalty nor supports operational stability. It risks sending the message that those who help execute the most complex transitions are valued least, while their prior compensation awards are unfairly repositioned as new “incentives.”

If it is later discovered that leadership teams received special bonuses, incentives, or retention packages while the broader employee base received little to no comparable support, it would raise serious moral and ethical concerns about fairness, transparency, and fiduciary responsibility. It would further erode trust among employees and could expose the company to reputation risk and broader cultural fallout at a critical time.

This is a shell game retention plan, don’t fall for it.

Exactly. Someone who quits or who is straight laid off has to leave that money on the table. That can be tens of thousands and people are complaining about early vesting? Early vesting for one group and 4 months pay for the next is generally the same thing. It doesn't matter when it was "earned". The rsu's aren't earned until they're vested. Omg friggin mo--nic conversation.

RSUs are being vested early for that group. 1/3 a year early and 1/3 two years early. How is that not getting anything? No one else get early vesting. That's two years of vesting for not even working at Crown. My god get ur head out of your a-s.

Don’t forget that RSU-eligible people who go to EQT and Zayo aren’t getting any RSUs next year, which can be between 15-25ish % of salary, so they are getting s___ed out of that, too.
The RSUs are designed for retention, since CC doesn’t care about retention after they offload us to the new company, we won’t get s__t (not even a reach-around).

"You really can’t lump annual bonuses and retention incentives together—they’re fundamentally different and serve different purposes."
smh - The entire reason part of the annual incentive comp is made up of RSUs is to serve as a retention bonus. That's the ONLY reason an RSU award takes three years to fully vest. It's the ONLY reason they're called "Golden Handcuffs." It's to keep you from leaving right away -> = Retention Bonus.
Although, I don't think I'd call Crown stock "Golden" handcuffs anymore. Maybe Copper. Or Bronze.

“So if someone says they’re “one and the same,” the question has to be: does that mean employees who get a retention incentive don’t get their 2025 annual bonus?”

Yes, if you are receiving a retention bonus then you are probably not getting the yearly bonus. By the time next March comes around all of those people who were moved to Zayo and EQT will no longer be on Crown’s books. The Crown employees get their yearly bonus while the others get the retention bonus. You’re not the victim here just because someone else gets a payment called retention while yours is called yearly…

It’s a bonus if you know anything about how business actually works. What a stupid take.

You really can’t lump annual bonuses and retention incentives together—they’re fundamentally different and serve different purposes. An annual bonus is tied to performance for the year. It’s something people work toward based on goals and company results, and it’s generally expected as part of total comp. A retention incentive, on the other hand, is a one-time payment meant to keep someone in place through a specific event, like a divestiture or sale. It’s not about performance—it’s about stability and continuity during disruption.

So if someone says they’re “one and the same,” the question has to be: does that mean employees who get a retention incentive don’t get their 2025 annual bonus? Or vice versa? Because that would be problematic. They should be treated independently, since they reward completely different things—performance vs. commitment to stay through a transition.

“People who come out ahead are the ones being moved to EQT or Zayo and don’t have RSUs. The rest, especially those staying with Crown, get nothing.”

The folks at Crown will get a yearly bonus, did you forget about that? Or perhaps leaving out facts gave you a reason to play the victim. Woe is me, I don’t get a one time retention bonus, I only get a yearly bonus…

My guess is the EMT and VPs baked a special bonus into the deal for themselves when the sale closes—quietly secured while the rest of us get nothing and brace for more cuts. But first, make sure the same groups you’re squeezing extra work out of to enable the deal carry the added workload while living in fear of being on the next cut list. Classic playbook: reward the top, burn out the rest after lying to us saying they are giving retention incentives to support everyone to stay and see the sales through.

People who come out ahead are the ones being moved to EQT or Zayo and don’t have RSUs. The rest, especially those staying with Crown, get nothing. Yet we’re all doing the same extra work on top of our regular jobs to make this divestiture happen. What a crock!

Assuming everyone makes the same base pay, here’s how it breaks down:
• Ray (assigned to EQT or Zayo):
OT Pay: $72,000 (20 hrs/week for 48 weeks)
Retention Bonus: $33,333
Total: Salary $100,000 +$105,333 + 12 months of job assurance

• Jay (also EQT or Zayo):
Accelerated RSUs: ~$13,000–$17,000 (from previous years’ work, value uncertain as tied to stock value)
Total: Maybe $13k–$17k + 12 months of job assurance

• Kay (staying at Crown Castle):
Total: $0 – No bonus, no accelerated RSUs, no OT, and no job assurance.

So basically, people not getting RSUs and being reassigned get the biggest payout. People getting RSUs get old comp just a little earlier that are going to Zayo or EQT plus 12 months post sale job assurance and those staying with Crown get absolutely nothing.

We all pulled weight to make this happen and add expected to keep doing it this plan doesn’t reflect that, it’s a joke! Board & EMT do better now, this was a shell game to way to do things after the last two years kf drama leading up to it people worked through while crown makes how much from the sale again? Oh yeah - $8.5 billion!

I understand two trunks of the biggest nepo trees at SP called it a day here recently in 25. There are a lot more people who need to worry than those seperated from their hiring mgrs. Congratulations EMT you may finally be making progress. Ways to go but def progress. Root them out.

Also it’s just 2027 and 2028 rsu bc 2026 will vest normally since the sale closes in q1 2026. I much rather have the 4 months salary. It will be great to be freed of these golden handcuffs though.

It really adds up If you assume they each make the same amount in base pay, look at how the examples add up with the plans.

Ray (EQT): OT pay: $72,000 (20 hrs/week for 48 of the 52 weeks). Retention bonus: $33,333 Total: $105,333 and 12 month post close job assurance.

Jay (Zayo): Accelerated RSUs: ~$20,000–$25,000 (past compensation, market-dependent) 12 month post close job assurance.

Kay (Crown Castle): $0 – no bonus, no accelerated vesting, no OT eligibility, no job assurance.

Ray wins, everyone wants to be Ray, Ray is buying the beer.

The proposed retention plan needs to be re-evaluated. Here’s how it plays out for Ray, Jay, and Kay—all working 60+ hours a week to support the divestiture—yet treated very differently:

RAY (assigned to EQT): Non-exempt, eligible for OT. Receives a lump sum equal to 4 months’ salary (~30% of annual income) as a retention incentive, plus 12 months of job assurance.

JAY (assigned to Zayo): Exempt, no OT. Has RSUs from past compensation cycles that will fully vest at close—labeled as his retention incentive—despite being earned from past work. These RSUs represent 20–25% of income from prior years, fluctuate with stock price bests at 10-15% of income due to the market value, and come with 12 months of job assurance.

Kay (remains with Crown Castle): Also putting in extensive time, but receives no retention incentive, no change to RSU vesting, and no job assurance.

The current plan is inequitable. Some get guaranteed cash, others get early vesting of old volatile RSUs, and some despite equal or greater effort get nothing. It divides teams, hurts morale, and erodes trust. It feels like a strategy to push people out without severance. This plan must be reviewed and revised to fairly recognize all contributions, regardless of divestiture alignment..

Yes, it will be way higher than 10%. CC was under 2500 prior to fiber. Add in changes in tech they will be even lower. 40 -45% layoffs. Anything less is irresponsible. There are more managers than staff. That's all going to end.

A lot of people will be separated from their original hiring manager. Once your hiring manager is no longer your manager you are in trouble.

Plus they are saying 10% workforce reduction between now and 2026, which means it will actually be in the ballpark of a 25-50% workforce reduction since this is what usually happens at Cc.

We'll be down to 2200 this time next year if not less. 40%+

RSU’s vesting should be a given, it’s not your choice and it’s past earned compensation awarded and with those fluctuations in value seems unjust (you get to keep what you already earned aren’t we generous) everyone should receive the the 4 months retention incentive who stays to support because most know after that a layoff is very likely for them. And their needs to be something for those who stay CCi.