While AT&T is cutting hardworking employees, John Stankey’s daughter, Meaghan Stankey, reportedly holds a senior HR role at the company.
That is a serious optics problem.
HR is supposed to stand for fairness, trust, and accountability. But when the CEO’s own daughter has a high-level HR position during layoffs, it raises obvious questions about nepotism, favoritism, and whether the same rules apply to executives that apply to everyone else.
Even if the company claims every box was checked, the appearance alone is damaging. Regular employees are losing jobs while executive family members appear protected.
AT&T leadership owes employees transparency.