Is this the straw that breaks the camel’s back?
This letter represents a final appeal from Verizon employees before further steps are considered.
Our Request
We respectfully request formal acknowledgment of the concerns outlined below from CEO Dan Schulman within 14 days, along with a clear and actionable plan implemented within 60–90 days.
Failure to address these concerns will leave employees with no choice but to pursue further action, including engaging with the Communications Workers of America.
The long-standing perception that employee morale can be overlooked is no longer acceptable. If meaningful change does not occur, employees are prepared to take the necessary steps to ensure their voices are heard.
Background
Over the past five years, employees have experienced a steady decline in overall compensation, benefits, and workplace support. This includes:
Increasingly aggressive quotas
Less favorable commission structures
Rising insurance costs
Minimal or nonexistent pay increases
These trends have created financial strain and significantly reduced morale across the organization.
Why We Are Speaking Out
This letter represents a unified group of both long-tenured and newer employees from across multiple areas of the business. We take pride in our work and remain committed to Verizon’s success; however, we are increasingly concerned that our contributions are undervalued and overlooked.
Key Areas of Concern
- Performance Management (Leaderboard and PIP)
Employees can be placed on performance improvement plans after a single underperforming month. This approach is unreasonable and has contributed significantly to frustration and declining morale.
Additionally, the leaderboard—used as a key performance tracking tool and, at times, an indicator of job security—is not consistently updated in a timely manner. In some cases, updates are delayed by several days. This lack of real-time visibility makes it difficult for employees to accurately assess their standing and adjust their performance accordingly.
If employees are expected to meet specific performance benchmarks, they must be provided with reliable and up-to-date data. Timely and consistent leaderboard updates are essential to ensuring transparency, accountability, and fair evaluation.
- Quotas
Quotas within VCG and VBG have become increasingly unrealistic. A meaningful adjustment—such as a reduction of at least 25%—is necessary to reflect attainable performance expectations.
- Commission Structure
Commission plans are frequently revised in ways that disadvantage employees, often shifting the balance further away from fair and attainable earnings. The increasing complexity of these structures makes them difficult to understand, leaving employees unable to effectively plan or predict their income.
Additionally, the current requirement to reach 75% of quota before earning any commission raises serious concerns about fairness. Employees are expected to meet higher quotas, yet are not compensated for their efforts until a significant threshold is achieved. This creates a system where increased expectations are not matched by equitable earning opportunities.
Raising quotas while simultaneously implementing barriers to commission eligibility places an undue burden on employees and undermines motivation, performance, and trust. A compensation model should reward effort and performance consistently—not delay or restrict earnings to the point where they feel unattainable.
Chargeback policies are also a significant concern. Current timelines of 6–9 months are excessive and create prolonged financial uncertainty for employees. Situations such as short-term additions of CPE devices can result in negative impacts long after the original sale, which feels disproportionate and unfair.
Additionally, the high return rate of FWA devices—often due to signal or hardware limitations rather than sales execution—should not result in financial penalties for employees. These outcomes are outside of the employee’s control and should be treated accordingly.