I've been noticing a lot of people getting their titles bump down 1 grade level. Any insight for folks who were impacted? Did their leaders say it's either agree to it or get laid off?
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They literally did this a couple years back with the IT departments in the US. Starting out as a technology sport analyst upgraded to a senior tech as a 26 and then as a technology support consultant that's 27... Then the Philippines people arrived..... Suddenly someone that was a 27 that has been there for a decade + is now the same title as the person that just started in the Philippines for a week. On paper someone that's been there for 15 years looks exactly like the guy that started a week ago same title and everything. They may not change the pay grade but they'll adjust the US titles to match or be lower than the Philippines counterparts. Your VP status will suddenly become a senior manager. Imagine trying to explain that to someone trying to hire you... "It says you went from a technology support consultant to another technology support analyst like when you first started at the company... Did you get a demotion???? " Yeah explain that to someone trying to hire you that you did not get demoted they just changed titles they don't believe you
Early in 2025, they changed the salary grade information available via Sparq. It used to be a spreadsheet that included low market, mid-market, and high-market ranges for each pay grade. They collapsed it into one range per pay grade, and tightened up the difference between the bottom and top. Without me making an extra penny, I went from having only a 19% penetration to 31%, making it much harder to argue the point that I'm underpaid for what I do. Of course, this is by design on UHG's part.
I would not put it beneath them to be secretly lowering people's pay grade, and hoping we wouldn't notice. I did check my profile today, and see where mine hasn't changed ... yet.
I’ve seen it before. People that have been hit in a RIF, but then get another role in the org. They take the other role because of several factors…
Here’s a few examples:
1) need a job, until they find something else
2) have equity (stock) grants that could be sizable that they would otherwise loose because they aren’t vested yet.
I have noticed this as well, and the ones I recognized were even long tenured Optum employees of at least 5 years or more
Not any different than other companies doing the same thing. The other factor is the acquired businesses seem to be more generous with titles than pay. When they get integrated, they will fall back to UHG titles and pay. Someone in the business could be a VP but with an Optum they’re only senior director. When those folks take on different positions, titles may change.
Yes some roles are gettting downgraded so they can backfill at a lower grade level.
Level 30 to 29. Started in October 2025. No word from my manager and I am not even going to ask him. Better off looking for a new job if they do stuff like this and cutting benefit/401k without addressing it like a man.