Thread regarding Cigna layoffs

@a7 it will be expanded to business units who were not eligible last round (because I’m not tech and my manager told me to be prepared to receive the details in early Jan) BUT leadership had a say in inclusion/exclusion and some leaders are asking to be excluded because it would hit them too hard if everyone eligible accepted.

@kk

I put about as much faith in that as I did in the (quietly retired) Drive to 2025 pillar "be the workplace of choice".

Whatever needs to be measured or reported to keep those super fat stacks rolling in, will be what happens.

I thought that executive compensation was going to be tied to results. Wasn’t that a promise coming out of the Commitment to Better? I believe that was stated explicitly. If so, how’s that make you feel especially given the rinse & repeat strategy?

A pay cut for ELT quickly solves the deficit.

@as Amen. The executives who led the company into this bad position should NOT be rewarding themselves for doing so. Will the execs not be getting any bonus or stock this year given their poor performance? Or is it only about cutting lower level workers who are executing their failed strategy?

@ax You're too kind for the "when they go lower, we go lower" present times :)

@ax

Backtrack a little harder next time

@at Sarcasm can be subtle and not everyone will get it. :)

@an

I don't recall any offers to any of us to "just take over the company" and I'm not sure an armed mutiny would be super effective.

Come on, you gotta be a little smarter than that...

@ae

How about #2 as it relates to executive compensation? Costs are on the rise, but don't touch those bloated packages! Would be nice to hear something on that. But nope, these folks that have made untold millions year after year won't take cuts - just cut a few hundred more out of the rank and file instead.

Leaders eat last.

@ak Not really. I don't do Kool Aid, but I am prone to reality. If everyone on here that complains about how things are done were as brilliant as they perceive themselves to be, they would just take over the company and snap their magic fingers to solve the problems. The insurance industry, the medical industry, the pharmaceutical industry, and the workers have changed in the last 10 years. If something is not done to shake it all up, it will all collapse.

It's easy to throw rocks from the anonymous keyboard. Maybe offer some realistic and cogent solutions istead.

@aa Wow you are really drinking the KoolAid. That is a very naive take.

@a7
Yes, that is what I want to know too, will VRP be widely offered or only to Technology as they originally mentioned during the first round.

@aa Certainly the landscape that is being navigated is not the same that it was when a lot of us joined Cigna. For me that was over 10 years years ago. I hear a ton of frustration in the posts that I see on here and it is understandable. I want to believe that the ELT is doing what they think will put them on a good path to success. It is in their interest and ours. Of course some are more self-centered than others, but isn't that human nature?

And, anyone that wanted to could ask questions. I don't remember there even being that much time left over for those.

That's a pretty cynical outlook. As an older person who has worked at a few different corporations, I have to say Cigna is addressing difficult conversations with more transparency than I've seen in other companies.

I haven't been at Cigna long enough to see some of the past stuff, but it does appear leadership is navigating through a difficult environment better than some other health care companies. Unfortunately, Cigna -- like virtually all other corporations -- is beholding to the investors (stock holders). Cigna is one of the FEW companies I see that seems to prioritize their mission over profits. Sadly, that does not mean the investors and profits can be ignored. Anybody watching the stock market should not be surprised that layoffs are coming.

For point 1 of the "one" strategy, I think you missed the point. Not commenting on if this strategy will succeed or not. But the point of the strategy is that Cigna will be trying to formulate customer decisions based on individual considerations rather than on "what the average is". AI as a tool can be leveraged to help find that "one" need rather than relying just on the raw averages of any given population. Again, will the strategy work? Don't know. But it is a novel idea, and AI seems like the right tool to enable this type of approach given the vast amount of data required to get to that "one".

On point 7, I think again you are being very cynical. From what I see, this is not just about "controlling the narrative", but is honestly about trying to help fix things in the health-care landscape that are seriously broken. No one company can fix these issues alone, but companies like Cigna -- with significant influence -- need to be stepping to the plate and fighting for positive change. Will doing this make Cigna look better? Sure! But is that why they are doing it? I doubt it.

As CEO of a huge company, Dave is more accessible than most people in his position. If you have sufficient courage to address some of your issues directly with him rather than anonymously on an Internet board you can. I've heard people ask hard (and not necessarily "nice") questions in town halls -- you too could do that. I've shook his hand and spoken to him without any sort of appointment, and he responded to what I said with a level of transparency and humility I honestly didn't expect.

Cigna definitely is not perfect, any more than any other large corporation. But I honestly did not hear the town hall anything like you did.

I wish they would have addressed whether the early retirement offer would be extended to other groups.

Its wild to me that they think they're going to follow a single strategy for FIVE YEARS. Thats longer than a presidental term. Will there even be a company left in 5 years after all the layoffs?

@a2 Yes, this.

@a3 Are you serious? We paid about $1 billion to buy MD Live and have not been able to grow the business at all. I used to work in that area and it is a money pit.

How was MDLive failed? They are still around.

We’re a global company, need global talents! - DC

pretty much nailed it