Thread regarding Optum layoffs

The purpose of the RTO mandate is to make people hate their job enough to quit and thus reduce onshore headcount without the expense of severance. The same goes for the recent 1% cut in total compensation (via the reduced 401K match).

For those impacted by the RTO, I encourage you to play the game while taking full advantage of the poorly worded requirements (i.e. "Be in the office an average of 4 days a week"), keep up your technical training, network like crazy and be ready to upgrade to a better company.

For those considering a job with Optum, understand that any telecommuter position can be changed to hybrid with little notice. Also, any position can be eliminated because of "changing business needs" regardless of your experience and past performance ratings.

Optum is a sinking ship. They're seriously top heavy, betting the farm on AI and reducing their onshore presence to a dangerously low extent.

@gb
Correct. That's what happened to me.

@a4 That's technically correct, but for how long?

Unless a work agreement contains specific wording protecting the telecommuter status of a position, the Company can arbitrarily change any telecommuter position into hybrid and enforce a RTO mandate.

@OP I was hired as a full time telecommuter in 2021 and was required to RTO per their new radius requirement. 0 people I work with in office. Currently there are no plans to expand, that we know of. I wouldn’t be surprised if they expanded though. It depends on your manager on the enforcement of days per week in office

In July they made all hybrid come in 5 days a week. "Hybrid" simply means you take your laptop home for Saturday and Sunday labor.

In October they changed everyone within 30 minutes commute of the MN HQ general area to in-office, but without any assigned seats. So every day you have to make sure you checked in to a spot.

So far it has not extended beyond that 30 minute radius but these announcements were made days (not weeks) before they took effect. I know remote hires who are driving in with us every single day.

Keep in mind if you are above a certain paygrade, your manager will imply that you not being in 5-6 days a week is tantamount to handing in your resignation.

The company has a very submissive culture that stomps out critical thinking or independent business leadership. If you aren't sitting in your designed spot 5-6 days a week as a manager+? You are gone. If you aren't driving and badging in to sit with strangers 5 days week? You are given a bad review.

IDK, I guess I am shocked you see all the comments on this board and are considering taking a job here. Then again, it's a paycheck and everyone has bills so......

@a4 this is false. People hired as 100% telecommuters can be mandated RTO. Has happened to thousands of employees, even if they had never stepped into the office before. There is a radius that keeps getting expanded.

@OP RTO can continue to expand and you should prepare for the possibility of it if you accept the role. It just got expanded in January. Optum is constantly going through RIFs so can't really recommend anyone start a job here.

Has anyone been able to be converted to a telecommuter within the radius in Minneapolis?

@aa Exactly! It was a waste of time commuting to the office to sit at a desk by myself and then finding a quiet space for Teams meetings -- my team and marketers I worked with were all remote. Reserving a desk everyday was also a big pain. Such a drag on productivity.

Can be changed at anytime. Especially likely if you are in Minneapolis.

I took a full time telecommuting position 12 years ago, long before Covid. Last fall they switched me to hybrid and made me come into the office 4 days a week. I am the only one on my team close to an office and sit alone in a cube area on teams calls all day. In my experience, they can revoke that telecommuter status at any point for any reason.

It depends WHERE you are located in Minnesota.

My experience:
In office -- 2010 to 2015.
In office once a week -- 2015 until COVID-19.
Full telecommuter -- 2020 until October 2025 (RTO).
My status was changed to from telecommuter to hybrid because I lived within a 30-minute commute of the office. It su-ked -- 4 mandatory days in the office.

Then I was RIFed in January.
I'm working remotely again with a smaller company.

Best of luck to you! :-)

I accepted a full time remote position 10 years ago and they made me start going into an office last fall. The only one on my large team that lives near an office. They can revoke that telecommuter status at any point for any reason.

@OP did you move internally, or are you an external hire? I'm curious how they're handling internal job movers that are MN based (do they let telecommuters keep that status or force them to take hybrid).

if you accept a telecommuter position, there is no RTO.