Thread regarding AT&T layoffs

Bro, you can preach hybrid and cry blood, ain't nothing that you can say or do that will turn this company's miserable existence into realizing that. They do not care. They'd rather have everyone gone. Don't you think they do not know that? Exactly the purpose of the RTO is to get rid of their most expensive expense — the employees. They also know that finding a remote or hybrid job right now - with this economy is close to impossible. Look at LinkedIn, see how many beggars are in there who applied for 1000+ companies submitted 1000+ applications and crickets. These people even have MBA and smarter than the rest of T's executives combined, but still it usually takes them a YEAR! if they are lucky to get an offer. The slaving will continue.

I set this program up with 60% TDP churn rates in mind. Only need 40% of young talent as automation and AI will handle the rest. I encourage you to leave and help reduce my OPEX budget! Thank you and best of luck in your next chapter- JTS

Hey TDP newbie!!!

THEY DON'T CARE!!!!

@OP - I understand your logic and don’t disagree with most of your post, however I don’t really feel that the TDP program specifically should be an exception.
I came in as TDP 15+ years ago… for 4 1/2 years I worked in office 5x per week, learning, teams, operations, software systems, etc. I’ve had four different positions within the company, one hybrid, one WFH, and now, of course, this new mandate of back to 5X.
About three years into the program, an executive (VP) had visited my location and explained to us (a little politically incorrect ) that the TDP program was meant for young, single people who were able to move about the country and betweenpositions freely with few local attachments or other priorities, basically filling in wherever the company wanted.
And at this time, you can see the company is openly telling telling employees to think of their jobs as short-term “ four or five five-year chapters”. TDP was created as a step in the door where they can use you ad-hoc , plug-n- play (I was actually told this by a previous supervisor) . They don’t want you to settle in or get comfortable.

Let's talk more about this in the office.

OP -- Not disagreeing with what you feel, but ironically, TDPs and new hires are the ones that should be coming into the office 5x and be co-located with their supervisor. However, once you have some tenure, there is no reason why a hybrid work schedule would not be allowed.

@c4 "overreaction to covid is plain stupid;

many of us were virtual in early 2000’s ya dummy; we are a telecommunications company that enables and sells this service."

And now your colleagues couldn't produce from the house and completely abused the system for years.

Maybe you dummies shouldn't have bragged about all the "benefits" of WFH.

Now y'all crying cause you can't babysit the kids, do the laundry, grocery shop and hit the golf course on the company's dime.

The first, most basic requirement of any job, is showing up to perform work. And y'all failed, abused the system and are whining like children cause your hand was caught in the proverbial cookie jar.

Customers are tired of hearing dogs barking in the back of support calls. Or babies crying. That's highly unprofessional.

We're also sick of having folks go AWOL in the afternoons.

So, su-k it up and see you in the office. Or try and go against the grain and take your spot up front in the "ready to be surplussed line."

It makes my job easier and takes the heat off me when yall continue stirring up nonsense over the most basic of job requirements: Showing up to work.

You chose to work here. Now, you have another choice to make. Either move closer to work. Or find another WFH job. Newsflash, most companies are getting rid of WFH because Covid is over and the abuse has proven to be rampant.

Boo hoo! See you on the commute!

While I can appreciate what you’re saying, you’re missing the point that they don’t care. They want as many people as possible to leave, by design.

@bk

overreaction to covid is plain stupid;

many of us were virtual in early 2000’s ya dummy; we are a telecommunications company that enables and sells this service.

you are a special kind of stupid

OP is right.
Former TDP here who converted to lead-MTS.
Only reason I stay is because they gave me virtual to retain me, otherwise I’d be gone.

If I lose that benefit, I’m out.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/realestate/opinion-why-the-office-mandates-for-many-companies-it-s-all-about-real-estate/ar-AA1S0WCU

The 5 days in office is the standard dimwits should read this. Essentially states that many companies are doing the RTO idiocy to justify pre-pandemic long-term leases and that many plan to reduce or ax RTO when they redo their leases.

This is mainly to save money on space and admit the obvious that employees want to be hybrid or remote. One in 10 companies said they will reduce or completely eliminate office requirements once their current leases lapse according to this piece.

Of course, we like to double down on d-mb, so we would prefer to waste more money on office space for Teams calls.

Everyone has a commute to work.

WFH is over. It was a temporary overreaction to Covid. Not permanent.

You are nothing special, young buck. Get over yourself.

Welcome to the real world. See you on the commute!

@ad Ditto. Post is a fabrication to stir sh*t

Great post!! They say they have a plan…… Custer had a plan too….

While your comment(s) might be spot on, they simply do not care! Exec mgmt does not give a damn about you or the other employees. They only care about covering their failures. They will let this dumpster fire continue to burn the whole place down before they admit wrong doing and change course. And if that does happen, mgmt is going to blame you and the rest of us employees.

Going to give you the truth. TDP’s are nothing but free help and they are the first to get cut. They are given false hope of a new career, but just get used for junk tasks and reporting for leaders. Then they either get wise to the game, or get cut due to budgets.

The truth is, many companies are going to be 5 days. Whether you like it or not. Even the top companies have strict RTO policies or are getting there. Former TDP here

@a6 Exactly. 5 days in office takes our so-called purpose and eviscerates it. Why should anyone believe that we are the company that ‘connects them’ when they are not in the same location when our leaders don’t believe in our products?

In the 2+ years we have been back at least part-time I have had exactly TWO productive in-person only meetings (no Teams). Not kidding. Not exaggerating. The waste and stupidity for the sake of greasing Stankey and friends’ egos is astounding.

And yeah I’m a Gen Xer who didn’t really believe that much in remote work until 2020.

Boo hoo. Quit your crying and get back to work.

Spot on.

Here’s a question from a non-TDP; why are they not allowing others with high technical acumen and degrees pursue similar opportunities that they are giving the TDPs? I’ve never understood that. Most of us are training these kids. I’d like to have that opportunity, but I’m not allowed.

"TDPs aren’t leaving because the work is hard.
They’re leaving because the system is broken."

From a long tenured Gen X'er, this person gets it...

If you are not sleeping with an L3+ in the TDP program, they don't want to keep you anyway. You are just another over-payed American manager, easily replaceable with H1Bs or offshore. They could not be happier if you quit. Your program exists to bring in young concubines for the exec team, not actual "talent."

I understand the frustration but based on the letter and hard stance on RTO, nothing is going to change. What they will do is move at least part (if not all) of corporate up the tollway to Plano, Frisco etc. That makes the commute shorter for a lot of employees, and in return, they expect employees to quite complaining about RTO.
Nothing at T is going to change. It’s always been a very heavy top down approach to mgmt style with little regard for input from employees.

You’re spot on. AT&T is setting itself up for a long term talent crisis with this 5 day RTO mandate. TDPs are supposed to be the future of the company, but we’re driving them straight out the door.

Every major competitor offers hybrid or remote, that’s the INDUSTRY STANDARD. We’re the only ones pretending a 2005 work model will somehow attract 2030 talent. When TDPs leave, AT&T loses years of training investment, future leaders, and the exact people needed to modernize the business. You can’t rebuild culture or innovate while forcing out the next generation.

And the irony is unreal. We sell remote connectivity and mobility to customers but refuse to use it ourselves.

If leadership wants to retain young talent, fix culture, and stop bleeding people to competitors, hybrid has to return. Otherwise the company will pay the price long after this RTO experiment collapses.

And some mo--n will come in and say it’s industry standard, but it isn’t. Most employers are still offering flexibility.

“But the 5 day RTO mandate is the single biggest deal breaker, by a mile.”

I’m convinced TDPs need to hear this whether they want to or not:

Bye!