Thread regarding Edward Jones layoffs

Can we unionize? That seems like a nice Christmas present for ELT.

@kc You can still apply but locals will have priority over you. The exception is “specialized skill.”

@k9 Leadership went from performance based to conformance based. The beatings will continue until morale improves!

I’ve been here almost 8 years and do not live in STL. I have had several roles within EJ, can I still move into other roles as an HBA, or am I basically stuck in my current one?

@ka seems like it. said flat out "pre-existing home based agreements will end"

@jy If you are grandfathered in (pre covid) is that over now?

what the absolute FU-K happened to this place?

I was hired remotely few weeks ago. In the job offer I checked it does not say remote but in the location it had mention "Remote". Does anyone know if they will ask you to relocate to STL in order to keep the job?

@k6 And while making a specific carve out in the policy for the New York office. Hmmm....

@k4 isn’t it ironic that the ELT loves to say “because we’re a partnership, we don’t have to do what the big public companies do”, while at the same time trying so hard to emulate JP Morgan and Goldman Sachs.

It’s pathetic, two faced, and extremely weak leadership. I’m done at this firm.

Asked Copilot how much of the e-mail was AI assisted and it said 75%.

So let me see if im understanding correctly--

Severely restrict the amt of remote workers you will hire and limit hiring to 2 medium sized cities not known for having a strong tech or financial industry, limiting your total possible number of workers in those cities.

Aggressively chase fintech and ai and try to rebrand as a data first and tech forward firm.

Pi-s off and squeeeze out your existing employee base in the two mid size cities where you will only hire from so there are far fewer people willing to do the work.

So the next step is inevitably hiring highly paid consultants, who live in tech and finance forward cities like NY / Chicago / LA fu-k even bigger cities in Texas have more options than stl. And since they live in those cities have them work remotely.....

Ok

@k2 we were told it is all being re-evaluated.

Any rumors/knowledge on the commutable zip codes? Are they going to be the same?

Total AI slop in the email. It's so disrespectful to have these people tell us something this disruptive in such a dismissive and demeaning way. A true leader would get everyone on a call and come out and say it.

@jz The lack of talent in St. Louis. It's a great city, but the next generation isn't running to live here.

60% HBA???? This is a surprise. Who is responsible for this?

Email just dropped.

Those folks that have been local HBA for 10+ years are going snap.

Lol, amplify just sent out their chat gp message. This place is disgusting. Why don't the higher up just come out and say it, "we hate you mouth breathers and we want you gone. We prefer cheap indian labor over you."

Can’t wait to see what bullsh1t they have AI generate for their email announcement about this. I may strain my eyes rolling them so hard.

@h4 Because that would make too much sense. Plus, it isn't about the notion of "more time in office = more profits for company."...RTO is the tool being used by companies now to A.) Anger the worker bees to make them quit. B.) Make upper management feel powerful and relevant. C.) Commercial real estate needs bodies in the buildings. This is why after all the companies that touted WAH in 2022 as being successful magically turned on a dime a few months later saying it was horrible based on zero data.

@g9 My understanding is depending on grade level, you will have to be in the office for FOUR days. I believe GPs have to be here two weeks a month. The next level down, once a month. HBA associates 12 and below twice a year.

Here’s what I’m not understanding…How is the firm going to afford all of this mandatory travel and expenses?

Also, I’ve heard that all positions will be hired hybrid-only which will directly impact HBAs. In order to be hired, be prepared to move to STL, Tempe or Mississauga. Anyone else hear this?

@h4 I doubt this is your peers' fault. They would have continued to tighten the sc--ws regardless. The firm is just like working for any other publicly traded corporation now, except the pay and morale is worse.

@gp email accommodations or HR. They'll give you a form for your doctor to fill out.

Wait they lied again. Remember when they told us they would not discuss or make any decisions about changing our hybrid requirements until sometime in T1 of 2026

These rules are crazy. No flexibility any longer. I come into work to be on Zoom calls 8 to 9 hours a day. I followed the rules but because others didn't, I am paying for it. Why didn't the firm hold those accountable for not coming in.

@gp yes you could reach out to HR to ask for ADA accommodation if needed and then work with your doctor to fill it out. Best!

So if we have documented mental health issues that we’ve been seeing a doctor for for many years, can the doctor write a letter saying that the switch to work in the office would worsen the medical condition? If our job is proven that it can be done remotely (as I have been for 10+ years), can they reject that or does ADA protect us when our doctor advises to continue working from home? I genuinely have severe anxiety and depression and it would legitimately make my condition worse, but I’ve never volunteered that information at work because I’ve never had to..

I heard that Kingston (not McDaniel) announced this with Penny and Miedler yesterday on stage at the partners meeting and tried to reassure the audience that there were planning “more fun” in the office in 2026, using pizza parties as an example. Really!?!

This is your strategic human capital function at work, people…

I personally don’t need fun at work, I just need leaders I can respect, be treated fairly and earn a fair wage. Sadly, I have three strikes on these at Edward Jones…

@g8 I fall into that bucket. I was HBA years before covid and was grandfathered in, even though Im in the 50 mile range. They may use this as a way to quiet fire us or get us to leave. EDJ is now using every sleasy east coast wall street trick in the book to gut the company and make a dystopian dumpster fire while PP skips around on national tv making an a-s out of herself trying to flip a coin for big 12. Psychologically, they are doing this before Christmas as an extra "sc--w you" to us midwestern peasants. They could have easily waited until January, but no. Davey boy and his NY tribe get their rocks off on doing stuff like this. (Assuming these rumors are true)

@fd my co worker works from coffee shops, friends, family they get stir crazy and just roam around on WiFi don’t understand how that’s not caught

So what about all these new GPs that the firm hired who live in other cities? Do they have to move to STL or Tempe?

Hint, I already know the answer is no. It's just another way to punish local employers. Remote will be marketed as a benefit for the new GP level hires.

I would think it would be an ADA or EEOC violation to punish someone by taking away career advancement opportunities just because they are an HBA.

I'm more worried about this part of @f8's comment, "Previously grandfathered home-office arrangements will end (minus those granted under ADA)."

What does this mean for the HBAs who were approved to work remote but not for ADA reasons? Are they going to sack all these people with more ISPs? That might mean a lot of people, possibly more than everyone combined who had already been VSP'd/ISP'd in the last few years

@fx I was an HBA. Prior to leaving, it was my understanding that in order to get a promotion, it would have needed to be signed off on by a member of the ELT.

@fx - Correct.

I’d like to know how upward mobility will be affected if open positions are all going to be local. If you are an HBA, are you now locked at your current level forever?

@fm that's got to be an ADA violation to deny someone reasonable accommodation for a documented medical condition. My own personal accommodation is to be in the office as much or as little as I need to, depending on how twisted up I am (or aren't) with my anxiety issues at any given time. My doc even increased my anxiety meds recently because the dose + work with my therapist just wasn't cutting it.

If they cancel my accommodation, I am extremely likely to quit and find a similar remote role with another firm. I know they're out there and I know they pay better than this place.

This smells like DC has his hands all over it. Guess we should do as he said in one of his earliest meetings and be thankful that we even have jobs at this point. I really wish that all of the boneheaded and misguided decisions that PP and her minions have made over the last 3 years were made public for clients to see. How can anyone have confidence investing their money with a firm whose leadership treats their employees like this?

@fd yeah I don’t get that. But I’ve had colleagues who are remote be on meetings at home in the AM, at a lunch spot in be afternoon and not on camera in afternoon meetings while they’re in the car pick up line or on their way to their kids’ games. I’ve done similar here and there but our leaders encouraged work/life balance and then I’d be logged on working from 8-11 on those evenings. This was okay as long as your were meeting/exceeding, not missing deadlines, and working your full min of 8 hours. Sounds like that’s no longer going to be permissible. It’s completely BS the work 4 days in office. Most all of my team who was coming in 3 days a week left early to avoid traffic on 270. This new rule makes that not permissible. I heard they’re going to be tracking swipes in and out of the buildings now, too.

@fn lol is that why GP income has grown tremendously over the last 5 years while LPs and other associates have been lucky to keep up with inflation?

Unless you are a Level 10 FA, Sr. Leadership doesn’t care about you

@fg LP's need to stand united and push back. They run the company, not GP's. The unfortunate news is no one will stand up.