When I call on customers they ask about product features, enhancements, future plans, what services are available, etc. No one, and I mean no one, has ever asked about F5's gender breakout, the company ratio on race, EIGs, or if F5 participated in the Seattle G-y Parade They want quality products and services.... But FLD doesn't care about the future of the company or the employees. His only interest is having him being recognized as a pioneer in the advancement of 'woke' policies that as every F5er has seen are sinking the company... What if at the next company meeting no one showed up? Or at the next survey we all gave him and the Execs a '0'? When I one-on-one asked one of FLD's direct reports why the Execs don't stand up to him... the response floored me... "You'd be surprised what 'BS" you'll put up with when your comp plan OTE is $3,000,000".... WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!
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YES! As I type this post, anonymously and over two VPNs-- from a hotel wifi while on vacation, in a private/incogneto browser... YOU ARE NOT ALONE!
When I tell people the number of Mandatory Diversity Trainings I have been in over the last 3-4 years the most common response is; "What did you say to get that assigned?". I don't need the BS training. I know the woke answers you are trying to indoctrinate us with, but most importantly I know none of it was ever a pervasive problem at F5. People don't care about your preferences se-----y, and would like to not hear about it-- only YOU care about them. Your apparent need to have them confirmed as valid is in itself invalid-- because I only care that you do your job and contribute. All of the training could be real simple, treat people like they are a human being.
How did we get here? Well, there was no DIALOG. Only those in power telling you what you should think and making it overtly clear that you didn't have a say if you disagreed, in fact, your voice would likely be silenced if you did say something.
I was in meetings at the start of all this mess of a "culture". I literally heard someone say the following to the question of (paraphrased) "What would you do if you saw someone outside of the office waiting for the bus who worked here who was a different race than you?" and they said they would go up to them (a complete stranger co-worker, mind you) and ask "What's it like to be a Black person in America?".... The imagining of that happening just TOOK my breath away... and NOT A PERSON said a thing.
I'll also remind you, employee surveys are NOT anonymous. Exhibit A: Don't fill it out and you get a PERSONALIZED email to just you reminding you that you haven't filled it out. Exhibit B. The managers get comments you put in if there are more than 5 responses. It doesn't say YOUR NAME... but it does say demographic information attached to it. Think like this when you see that, "Hispanic Female, 50-60 years old, worked for F5 10-20 years"
... just how many people on your team do you think fit that (or any) description?
As for the way they treat employees by removing benefits, first they aren't sly about it-- it always starts 6-9 months ahead of time by pointing out how much better F5 is compared to other companies on X topic. Then later--- they don't lower that benefit to that level, but they do lower it. So-- RSU changes are certainly on the table this year, especially since they have been lowering them for several years.
They completely forget-- I and others work at F5 because they are (were?) different from other companies, it was a differentiator. So to FLD, in this anonymous posting I say:
"Keep cutting benefits, keep not giving raises, keep alienating good people who treat others equally by insinuating they are racist due to the color of their skin or some form of "phobic" because their preferences are not the same or even known... it will make the apples to apples comparison of offers from competitors easier to weigh for those of us that stick it out until better economic situations prevail. We will remember how you treated us.
To my colleges in that group, I say "#neverforget"
I am already engaged in looking for new options. Companies pay better money for security, programming and networking skills. I am ignoring all "mandatory" training about "diversity" and "microaggressions" BS! The last thing I am interested in hearing about at work is who you sleep with, what you carry in your pants, what your skin colour is, what your se-ual fantasies are or what you do after work. We should care about being nice to each other and excelling at work. It's simple as that!
do it....organise a rebellion! people will follow as FLD has made promises and under delivered. my team never gets asked about D&I...just imagine...."So, I will only buy your product if your D&I is 50/50..AND if you have all completed your bias training"....
I am asked to do 5x my role, there is no funding for temps, SLT is to old and out dated and doesn't have a clue, Services are holding up the company but even then its, no you can't spend $40 on a meal but I will fly first class etc.....no one joined a company based on D&I no one bought a product based on what "pride letter you are" no one bought a product because you have all done your internal training.....EVERYONE has bought products based on value and benefits against competition.....remember that F5, you are slowly moving down the scale and are more of an F3 now.... or even a zero..but Me and my team carry on with the zero increases whilst SLT take the lot....