Thread regarding AMN Healthcare Services Inc. layoffs

@17t there are choices when it comes to leading through difficult times. Leaders can choose to lead with empathy or they can choose to lead with fear. Just because a leader is a puppet doesn’t mean they have to lead with fear based tactics-that is a weak leadership position. They can choose to show compassion & empathy to their subordinates and still drive results and will yield a lot more from their team with that approach. This org loves to say that they care about their people and talk out the other side of their face about how they need to be “all in” or they can leave. There are also a lot of issues around directors and above not knowing what their people do & deal with to make effective decisions on how to solve real problems rather than ancillary issues that have no real impact or relevance to morale.

More layoffs are occurring today across the organization. Who are the affected departments?

@168
The department or division leaders are mere puppets. They can only jump when they’re told so if they’re getting instructions from upper management, not to say anything or engage in these types of discussions, they have to do just that.

@168
This behavior has been ongoing for months, but it’s only now surfacing because the situation with HR has reached a tipping point. There’s been a lot happening behind closed doors, and it’s starting to catch up with leadership. What they fail to recognize is that employees, customers, and investors are paying close attention, this is a direct reflection of the C-suite. They are enabling each other.

Leadership has a pattern of sugarcoating issues, trying to maintain the illusion that everything is fine. But people aren’t blind, they can sense when something isn’t right, and word spreads quickly. Many employees have already mentally checked out, quietly waiting for a better opportunity. If this continues, it won’t just be quiet quitting, it’ll be a wave of departures.

What’s interesting to me is that there has been nothing said. No word salad boilerplate email trying to reframe it as something positive from the C Suite & nothing from department/division leaders. It’s like they think we don’t know.

@11p
The company’s approach to PIPs appears to function more as an exit mechanism than a tool for genuine performance improvement. It’s part of a broader business continuity strategy. Clevel leadership meets with division heads to mandate headcount reductions, and these cuts are quickly executed through waves of performance management actions.

Managers at all levels are left scrambling, with little opportunity to support or develop their teams. There’s no room for coaching, just swift decisions. Even employees with 10 or more years of service can find themselves out the door within weeks. It’s a harsh and dehumanizing way to treat people.

@105 they’re trying to performance manage people out & term anyone who is not 100% RTO compliant to avoid a large scale official layoff. I was on a call recently & performance management was the only topic of interest in managing team members. Coaching and doing anything meaningful to support struggling team members is out the window. If anyone isn’t hitting target, automatic pip-zero tolerance. Mid level leaders are being crushed from above and below their span of control. RTO naysayers are being specifically targeted because it’s a clear cut way they can term people for violating company policy. I keep getting “checked on” to ensure I am in the office for the entire 8hrs. We have SO many other things to deal with that have real impact rather than a butt in a seat at an office where you sit on teams calls because none of your team is in your area.

Last year, there was a layoff in July following the second quarter, and another one in the fall. Given that pattern, I wouldn’t be surprised if another round happens before the end of this year.

I’m referring to large-scale group layoffs, though smaller, less visible cuts have been happening regularly behind the scenes. You never really know when you’ll get that call. Team members get anxious whenever they receive a message or call from HR. It has reached a point where even within HR, sudden meetings spark concern that a RIF might be underway for them too.

Ok, seriously though, can anyone confirm that this thread has been sent to board members? Can we confirm that any concrete action was taken?

It is so disheartening to need to stay here. As a single parent with kids to feed and house, I can't afford to leave without a new job and the market it tough. But I spend each and every day doing my very best yet still worried that I will be next. All us remote workers know they will dump us as soon as they can. With business being down, it's easier to do. They don't seem to care that clients are leaving in droves because they have no more faith in AMN, just like the employees. You need to get employees back to happy so they can make clients happy. You can't keep mediocre talent while losing all the great people and expect the same performance levels. Morale is so bad, we're all miserable.

This is some entertainment. This is why you don’t mess with HR. They will eat you alive if you mess with them and I am here for it.
Everything said is so true. I am glad that people finally have the ba--s to say something.
Here is an idea - create a speak up against Tomya and Emily, making the content unidentifiable. Block your number and have someone else use their voice to read the content. Blow up that speak up line with complaints. The board will love the report.

@OP Look Cary Grace does not care about the underlings. I have paid attention over the course of her tenure, she’s out to tear apart AMN for sale because as a stock holder she will make more if AMN is sold in pieces vs as a whole. Return to office will cost employees more money than they make with out additional compensation any where from low ed $3300 per year to as much or more than $17000 of year to work in office due to gas, food, tolls, car maintenance, dependent care, and health costs from exposure to illness spread in office settings.

1. When they switched to Workday our fully Remote positions terms changed to per business needs.
2. They got called out last July for layoffs end of every Quarter.
3. Lied about the Employee Engagement Survey saying only 13 people complained or had negative feedback.(then I know all 13 and 10 who lied about the negative feedback on last years survey)
4. Fireside chat with Tomya she made it clear that she wanted everyone back in the office and if it were up to her dressed business professional.
5. They slipped the updated flex work policy in the employee handbook. If you read it first page states no changes were made revised in 2022. Then when you get to the Flex work section you will see that any mention of return to office is not in the main section that was rolled out. It says click link for more information which when you do you see it was revised and approved by Tomya 3/27/25. Company handbook rolled out 4/7 and had to be signed by EOD 4/11/25. Which if you didn’t sign you would be in trouble.
6. Survey sent out to Dallas and San Diego would you work 4 days in off with a dedicated work space. (As a parent questions like that mean it’s already decided but we will pretend that we care.) Also FYI it was not an anonymous survey.(Found out because I tagged it as spam, was told it wasn’t went to reply couldn’t. AMN had to reset my individual assigned survey link)
7. No Employee Engagement Survey rolled out or even mentioned.
8. Mandatory in office 2 days roll out with supervisors being pressured to make sure employees are in office.
9. Loss of additional space on the 4th floor of Dallas (Major hint for lay offs and termination for failure to comply with mandatory in office days) Why cut the number of desks and office space if the plan is to have employees working in office, because the company has already planned what is the minimum number of employees to work in each department.
10. HR layoffs
    Coming Soon Termination for failure to comply with in office mandated days.
    Do not forget that if you are relocating within your state, but outside of your 50 miles radius of office, that you are still required to abide by the terms of in office mandated days. You will need to submit a request to relocate and gain approval for your relocation and exception for in office days.

You better believe this is going to the board. This entire thread and documentation saved over the last several months.
When the investigation starts people better start speaking up.

@OP Knowing all this, what can actually be done? Does anyone care enough to act?

Cary comes from a financial background, so her primary focus is, what she always talks about, “financial results.” In her view, people are interchangeable.
Tomya, despite having extensive DEI credentials, removed all visible references to DEI upon being hired and rebranded the initiative to something more politically neutral. It’s disappointing to see such a shift.

@kd The rest of the C-Suite need to band together to figure this out quick. If HR crumbles, their departments will suffer. There needs to be an investigation into Emily VW. If all of a sudden, she doesn’t like you, or you share your own thoughts and don’t agree with her, in a few months, you are either terminated or you are part of a “reduction”.. Everyone knows when Emily doesn’t like someone. She can’t fake her fakeness. Also - most important thing ever - the lady has ZERO clue about any HR process or procedure. I dare you to ask her one question about anything HR related. Ask her on the spot versus giving her time to side bar with one of her puppets.

@k7 not just Emily. Tomya too. They are cancer to the company. Finally HR is speaking up after months of frustrations.

@k8 someone needs to send this thread to the entire board ASAP.
No confidence in HR anymore. You basically have people doing as they are told with no drive. Just smiling and doing their job but burning underneath. Completely dismantled. No heart left. People are pi---d.

@k7 Cary doesn’t care. She’s the architect to this shipwreck.

@k3 Someone has to email Cary Grace, C-Suite, the Board of Directors. And ASAP, otherwise HR is going to collapse. Emily VW must leave this company immediately in order for Cary to salvage the remains of HR. They have messed up big time.

This is too much to digest. How can one drive progress when HR lacks internal alignment, and leaders below the C-suite level (or C-1) are not aligned with the organization’s directives such as presentism?
How can success be achieved in an environment where two foundational Core Values, Trust and Respect, are clearly gone?
What happened to AMN? How did we allow this to happen?

@jn expecting someone to do that commute for a role they’ve handled remotely is insane. I’ve also witnessed other highly capable colleagues in our department resign due to being forced back into the office. These patterns have seriously impacted my trust in the company, and I’m not alone, many of my colleagues share the same concerns. It’s clear that change is needed.

@jm I know who you’re talking about. They gave her an ultimatum: commute nearly two hours each way or walk away. Despite her deep knowledge and talent, they were willing to lose her without a second thought. And now? They’ve let go of most of the people who genuinely cared. What’s left… well, good luck with that.

Reading these comments has been shocking. As someone outside of HR, I always assumed things were running smoothly. It’s eye-opening, and sad, to realize that what seemed stable on the surface was actually held together under a lot of pressure and distrust. I truly felt the loss when my Generalist left a few weeks ago. Her support made a real difference, and her departure now makes even more sense.

@je Apologies for the confusion, the point is not that the HR folks are lazy. On the contrary, the HR folks I’ve worked with at AMN (Tomya aside) have been great partners. The focus on presenteeism is a lazy substitute for creating an actually engaging and effective remote/hybrid workforce. In other words, senior leaders are focused on taking the company backwards at the expense of team members.

Presenteeism is the mark of lazy HR. I disagree.

The HR professionals actually doing the work are not aligned with the culture of presenteeism, they are committed, hardworking, and deeply invested in supporting employees. It’s frustrating that this often goes unrecognized. The current environment is being driven by decisions at the C-suite level, to include Tomya and Emily and their minions.
Let them take another pulse survey today across the organization - even then people are terrified to say anything

Whether by design or incompetence the CEO and her senior executives are failing not only their team members but (more importantly from their perspective) their investors. The retrogressive focus on presenteeism makes the company less competitive, As a result, AMN is no longer the premier employer in this space and with new market entrants mastering the art of remote work, top talent is going elsewhere. Presenteeism is the mark of lazy HR and contrary to AMN’s brand as a workforce solutions leader. The last company you want to hire to help you manage your labor is one that can’t even manage their own. Such a shame to see a previously innovative market leader failing with these misguided efforts.

HR has also been impacted and treated unfairly, especially during ALL RIFs. Despite that, we’re expected to maintain a façade and act like everything is fine, when it’s not. It’s been incredibly difficult having to let go of dedicated employees who gave so much to the company, through no fault of their own. We were simply following directives handed down from higher levels in HR LORDS in the company, with little to no input from those of us on the ground.

Unfortunately, senior leadership has consistently ignored feedback from those lower in the hierarchy. As a result, the organization is now riddled with distrust, and morale is at an all-time low. Gossip and speculation have replaced transparency, and many employees are just going through the motions, collecting a paycheck while quietly looking for their next opportunity. I don’t blame them.

@hx HR got the same sh!tty treatment as the rest of us these last few years. If anyone knows how to make these stories land where they can actually spark change—please share.

Now that it hits HR it is causing a storm but when others were laid off and treated like trash it didn’t matter.
Not that it is ok but when I was laid off I had an upcoming cancer related surgery and had to postpone it because I lost my insurance two days after they let me go. I pleaded to give me grace but they made their decision. I had been with the company for over 5 years and had no negative feedback or performance issues.
I hope people are reading this and realizing that this is how this company really treats people. It is a healthcare sort of company but does not care about the mental, emotional, physical or psychological health of its people.

@ds I knew when she was going to the various offices and holding team member meet & greets that she was very opposed to remote work. She tried to come off as this “relatable” c-suite exec, but it was painfully obvious that she hates remote work. She also gave off major “bootstrap” mentality with the way she spoke about managing work life balance. This whole company is so slimy. I have been job searching for months & the market is so bad right now that I am stuck until I can find something. Until then, I keep my head down and I do not do anything extra, contribute only what’s necessary, and I work exactly 8hrs on the dot.

@ds “In her world, proximity equals priority, and adaptability is treated as expendable.” TRUTH!
And she is not alone because Emily is exactly like her. Emily kept her puppets on and fired the ones that she didn’t like or didn’t agree with her. Terrible people. People need to continue to quit to send a message. We should not settle for outdated practices.

Omg! They let go of people that were there for 20years? Who does that? Who would want to stay there knowing how they treat people?
I heard the way they moved were so sly about it. Karen A the HRBP has been slithering her way around for a while so I am not shocked that she’s involved. She’s fake. Emily and Tomya are fake too. I bet they are selling Cary on what they are doing but we will see the true damage when it’s too late. Hopefully Cary wakes up and fire them.

@ds I endorse everything you said. Well put and accurate. It’s exactly how most people feel but unless they can express it in anonymously no one will say anything in fear of retaliation.
The part where she expects people to prioritize work over their family and life is spot on.
Everyone is fair game. It’s cr--s in a barrel mentality too.
HRSC employees need to start looking , everyone in HR needs to. If they can drop others like that they can do that to others.

Don’t Trust AMN Under Tonya Watt: A Culture of Disposability and Declining Safety

Under Tonya Watt’s leadership, trust in AMN is deteriorating fast. While she didn’t make previous layoff decisions, she joined as Chief People Officer in January—and the latest round of layoffs reflects troubling choices under her influence.

These layoffs hit the HR department especially hard, targeting remote team members regardless of performance or tenure. Even top talent—those with strong track records and deep institutional knowledge—were eliminated purely because they worked remotely. Meanwhile, local employees were offered new titles, creating a divisive environment that favors proximity over contribution. Tenure meant nothing—whether you had 5, 10, or 20 years of service, you were equally vulnerable.

This bias reflects Tonya Watt’s broader rigidity around in-office presence—a preference that’s not just operational, but ideological. In her world, proximity equals priority, and adaptability is treated as expendable.

These decisions don’t just damage careers—they shatter psychological safety across the organization.

Despite promoting herself as a people-first, empathetic leader, Tonya Watt’s actions tell a different story. She dismisses concerns in large meetings, prioritizes productivity over wellness, and downplays personal and emotional challenges. If this is how she shows up publicly, what kind of culture is she cultivating behind closed doors?

Erosion of Psychological Safety Under Watt’s Leadership

• Outdated Expectations for Women: Instead of supporting emotional authenticity, her approach reinforces antiquated norms that discourage women from expressing themselves in the workplace.
• Minimizing Comfort & Well-Being: Employees who raise concerns about work environment and policy changes are brushed off, as if comfort and morale don’t impact performance.
• Promoting Overwork & Sacrifice: She perpetuates a harmful message: that personal life and well-being must be compromised for professional success.
• Detachment from Family Values: Her comments on childcare imply that all parents should outsource care, disregarding the emotional complexity of working families.
• People Reduced to Metrics: Tonya refers to her own children by number rather than name—a small but revealing detail that hints at a leadership style focused more on tracking than on connection.

This pattern of leadership is deeply concerning. Tonya Watt has been in the role for just months, but the damage to trust, autonomy, and workplace culture is accelerating. While these shifts may claim to support modernization and efficiency, they ignore the human cost—a cost that threatens engagement, loyalty, and identity in an organization once proud of its culture.

I saw the LTD team got hit with layoffs. Anyone else? How many impacted?

@ac HR dept.
They lied when they said layoffs were not on the horizon. They’ll never announce that - they’ll just call people the day off and let them go immediately.

Who got hit with layoffs? I’ve seen the writing on the wall for my department, but I’ve been told there’s nothing on the horizon for layoffs. Some of my friends in sales say that they’re being “heavily performance managed”. I’ve seen some key HRBPs leaving to go to other companies. I agree that the new CHRO is outdated. She seems to hates remote work. I don’t have any of my team in my location, but I have been “checked on” to ensure I was actually in the office.