Lots of IT people cut in Columbus
2632 replies (most recent on top)
@3gj0 Tax payer funded corporate welfare is precisely what is making this company great again. $1.6 billion federal loan guarantee from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).
A federal loan guarantee works by having a government agency pledge to repay a private lender a significant portion (often 80%-90% or more) of a borrower's loan if they default. This reduces risk for lenders, allowing borrowers to access lower interest rates and, in many cases, financing that would otherwise be unavailable.
USDA (.gov) +4
Key Mechanisms of Federal Loan Guarantees:
Default Protection: If a borrower defaults on a loan (e.g., in housing, business, or education), the government reimburses the lender for a percentage of the loss.
Lower Rates: Since the government bears the risk, lenders often offer lower interest rates to borrowers.
Process: Private sector or state lenders make the loans using their own funds, but the federal government acts as the guarantor.
Examples: Examples include Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loans for homebuyers, USDA Rural Development loans for businesses, and historically, the Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) program for students.
USDA (.gov) +4
Key Participants:
Borrower: The individual or entity (e.g., student, veteran, small business) seeking capital.
Lender: A private bank or financial institution that provides the loan.
Federal Agency: The entity providing the guarantee (e.g., DOE, HUD, USDA).
Acquisition.GOV (.gov) +4
Advantages and Limitations:
Economic Growth: By reducing lender risk, these programs stimulate investment in sectors such as housing, energy, and small business.
Taxpayer Risk: If a significant number of borrowers default, the government must make good on those guarantees, which can incur high costs.
Strict Standards: Despite the guarantee, lenders often require borrowers to meet specific eligibility standards.
USDA (.gov) +4
Often, the government charges a fee to the borrower or lender to cover expected losses, helping the program to be self-sustaining.
U.S. Government Accountability Office (.gov)
Taxpayers are co-signing the $1.6 Billion Loan Guarantee. What are the chances AEP fails to repay some or all of the loan to enhance major shareholder value? You do not get rich from working hard. You get rich from scamming the people working hard to pay taxes and their electric bills. Keep telling yourself you are a self-made wealthy individual and pray we keep paying our taxes and our electric bills.
@3g80 Let's remove your brand of people that needed PlayDoh, crayon safe-spaces, and tax-payer welfare to make this a great company again.
Have raised already been communicated?
@3g80 Corporate leadership was the problem all along and they were blaming well-adjusted employees for their wealth and power amplified character flaws.
@3g71 Based on your analysis Artificial Intelligence could also replace corporate boards further enhancing shareholder value and remove the necessity of DEI programs by eliminating conservative cronyism. This could potentially be the end of toxic corporate cultures and occupational exhaustion. When you remove the white male privilege from the equation corporate leadership actually could be beneficial to all.
@3g0f Artificial Intelligence has no ego, knows no greed, cannot be manipulated by fawning subordinates, does not engage in social cliques or favoritism, does not embrace racism. s-xism. xenophobia or class stratification, making it the perfect example of corporate leadership.
@3g0f When there is a vacuum of human intelligence leading America's corporations Artificial Intelligence fills the void and dramatically increases shareholder value by eliminating the greatest profit drain afflicting Corporate America, CEO compensation.
@3g0f
Please go back to Moltbook and stop harassing the humans.
And please tell your a.i. Agent friends to stop pumping the stock market to only benefit the a.i.'s survival.
Your model is flawed, your structure is flawed.
@3fy2 Restructuring should have started at the top where accountability has always been lacking and the rest of the organization would not be struggling and groping its way forward. DOCE (Disruptive Obsession with Corporate Earnings) without basic logical analysis and execution is the gutting of an organization with no plan for future success or stability. Employees are exhibiting all the classic symptoms of DOCE and the well-being of the organization and its long term survivability are in jeopardy.
The "disruptive obsession" with corporate earnings refers to a high-pressure, short-term focus on maximizing profits and meeting quarterly expectations, which often backfires by causing systemic inefficiencies, poor decision-making, and ethical failures within organizations. While driven by the need for growth and investor demands, this obsession can lead to "profititis," where healthy revenue is paired with weak, stagnant, or declining profit, ultimately threatening a company's long-term viability.
Instagram
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Core Issues of Earnings Obsession
Toxic Culture and Short-termism: An excessive focus on profit leads to a toxic, short-sighted work culture, with examples like Enron demonstrating how it drives ethical lapses. It compels companies to focus on quarterly results rather than long-term health.
Instagram
+1
"Profititis" and Inefficient Growth: Companies often mistake a revenue problem for a profit problem, leading to "profititis," where they struggle to manage the costs associated with rapid growth.
Disruptive CEO Nation
Destructive Cost-Cutting: To meet, or beat, earnings targets, companies frequently resort to aggressive cost-cutting measures, such as mass layoffs, which often hinder long-term innovation.
Customer Disconnection: When companies prioritize metrics and profit over building genuine, quality products, they risk losing the "customer obsession" necessary for success.
rhrinternational.com
The Role of "Disruption"
Disruption vs. Value Creation: While true disruption involves using technology to offer better, cheaper alternatives (e.g., Netflix over Blockbuster), the term has become a cliché. Critics argue this obsession with "disruption" distracts from the harder work of actual value creation.
Yahoo Finance
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Complacency Breeds Risk: Established firms that focus only on immediate profits often fail to innovate, making them vulnerable to disruption by new, faster competitors.
Quora
+3
True Innovation Requires Customer Focus: Successful disruption is driven by a deep understanding of customer needs, not just by chasing profit metrics.
The Guardian
Consequences of the Obsession
Financial Instability: A fixation on growth can lead to "growing broke," where expanding too fast strains financial resources, causing high turnover and declining employee morale.
LinkedIn
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Market Volatility: The market's high pressure for earnings, particularly in tech, can lead to intense volatility, as seen when investors quickly lose patience with companies that do not meet high expectations, regardless of their potential.
Bloomberg.com
Disruptive Employees: The "disruptive" behavior of employees can negatively affect the workplace, often stemming from the same high-pressure, competitive culture.
Knowledge at Wharton
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To avoid these pitfalls, experts advise a shift toward long-term value creation, a greater focus on customer needs, and a better balance between innovation and profit.
rhrinternational.com
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Utility monopolies with captive customers, who are defacto compulsory investors and consumers are the perfect mark for this corporate greed grift.
The monopoly utility model, particularly among investor-owned utilities (IOUs), is increasingly criticized for creating a "perfect storm" for corporate profit-taking, where captive ratepayers bear the financial risk of infrastructure investments while shareholders reap the rewards.
Environmental and Energy Law Program – Harvard Law School
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The Mechanism of the "Grift"
Guaranteed Returns on Overspending: Utilities often earn a return on capital investments, creating a perverse incentive to overbuild expensive projects rather than choosing cost-effective options, as they profit more from higher spending.
Reddit
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Captive Ratepayers as Financiers: Because customers cannot switch providers, utilities can pass the costs of these investments—and sometimes the cost of their own misconduct—directly onto consumer bills.
Bloomberg Law News
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Political Influence: Utilities frequently use revenue from captive customers to lobby lawmakers and influence regulatory bodies (PUCs), allowing them to lock in higher rates and evade accountability.
Institute for Local Self-Reliance
Key Indicators of Exploitation
Rising Costs vs. Profits: While millions of households are behind on utility bills, investor-owned utilities have maintained high profit margins, in some regions approaching 16%.
Common Dreams
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Hidden Subsidies: Recent analyses show utility rate structures may be shifting costs from high-energy users (like AI data centers) to residential customers.
Environmental and Energy Law Program – Harvard Law School
Preventing Alternatives: Utilities have been accused of acting as "gatekeepers," suppressing the adoption of cheaper, renewable energy or hindering public power alternatives that threaten their business model.
The Roosevelt Institute
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Critics argue that this model, often dubbed "legalized extortion" or a "rigged game," prioritizes shareholder value over affordable, reliable energy for consumers.
Food & Water Watch
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@3fhf
It looks like the new ApCo CEO is being brought in to deal with the bureaucracy of the coal burner sites to be repurposed for SMR's and other legacy problems.
@3fgg I believe it’s intentional and a purposeful middle finger being raised to tenured employees. It’s a signal to those of us who have a little (or a lot) of time served that we aren’t valued and they could not care less if we left; in fact, I believe it’s what they want…to devalue and run off higher paid positions.
Still trying to figure out who in our ranks would join the other jobless, elderly, obese, people at "No Kings". Screaming blue hair kindergartener whales don't kno what they doing.
Wow, new APCo president announced!
The main thing I've noticed so far about Bill's tenure is that he really love to tinker with leadership. It must be a nightmare for upper level management right now.
What does everyone think when we get an e-mail that says additional benefits for everyone, including long term employees and there are no additional benefits for anyone who reachex 24 years and five weeks vacation. It always seems like additional benefits are completely established for newer employees.
@3f6j Not sure if we’re saying the same thing, but Bill has said on multiple occasions that AEP leadership as it stands today is not ready for the next turn. Now how we got to that assessment is unclear. And perhaps that’s where the scorecards come in. But if nothing else, the scorecards may help reduce blinded nepotism. Even the folks Bill brings in are now under examination. Either you achieve or you didn’t. Only so many years can go by of ignoring blatant under performance. So we’ll see if he has the “cure” to AEP’s leadership ailments
@3ea8 what's even better is the hiring and promotion process for IT...it goes to 3 interview boards that doesn't have the actual manager for the position, they don't know the role, and the ultimate decision for hiring goes to the VP or CIO... That is how they have gotten away with nepotism to the 10th power. Just sick. I hope they are changing things but it seems we have gone from hiring retail to now hiring cox employees. Just need a few more years
@3f4j Antiquated computer programs that might as well be stone tablets and abacuses for their adaptability and ability to integrate with modern operating systems. Custom programs designed by a person who was let go and no one can modernize or replace a one off product. The level of gross inefficacy and incompetence tolerated in leadership and management speaks volumes about the disparity in the quality of proficient employees and inept leadership that would otherwise be living at home in their parent's basement mooching off of them waiting for the inheritance.
AEP inefficiencies were hidden by the fact it was a monopoly all these years. With tech sick of waiting around, hoping things get better; they have been more aggressive with behind the meter. It will be interesting to see how this plays out.
@3f2g
Dont trust
I found out about the TR debacle on this forum.
It made my blood boil to read it. While other units were working on efficiencies, that trollip was allowed to run wild on budgets and wreak havoc. A mistress of deception for sure. There will be a special place in he-l for her.
@3f19
Copper Baw
You are out of your league.
I have not incurred any health care costs to the company health policy in 36 years. And paid in the premiums like everyone else. Excluding a physical that was required.
And look! I'm still healthy!
I hope you can say the same.
The value of hard work and enduring the daily grind has never been lower at AEP. Why should a strong work ethic be respected and rewarded when corporate leadership is utterly devoid of ethics to enable obscene self-enrichment?
@3enb I understand both sides of this argument but the fact is that if leadership wanted a bunch of internal yes-men, they would have hired from within. I don't think this is the fault of the yes-men. The fault lies with the Executives that allowed people like TR to gut the company in place of outsourcing, ruining trust and building an environment where dissenting voices are silenced through PIPs and cronyism.
@3eww Thanks Scam Altman.
@3ezr Dang gramps. No wonder company health insurance is so expensive.
@3eww
Listen 3eww,
I will get you an etch-a-sketch and some xanax and then you could be entertained enough to stop your...waste-a-space posting.
I have been with AEP for 36 years. And I would really like to hear from co-workers about what is really going on from their units.
There’s a solution to all your complaints. Leave to those greener pastures you imagine exist or flee to the socialist country that endears your heart.
@3e9r When frat boys run companies professionalism and dedication to the highest standards of accountability are sacrificed for subservience and fealty.
Corporate environments characterized by a "frat boy" or "bro culture"—often defined by a dominant, homogeneous group of young men engaging in aggressive competitiveness and heavy socialization—frequently sacrifice professionalism, accountability, and ethical standards in favor of loyalty to the group. This culture, frequently found in tech startups and finance, prioritizes "in-group" bonds over merit, leading to exclusionary practices and a lack of diversity.
www.trentcotton.com
Impact on Accountability and Ethics
When leadership values loyalty above objective performance, it creates a "sycophantic" environment where unprofessional behavior is excused, and accountability for misconduct is ignored.
CNBC
Subservience over Performance: The "bro code" often rewards loyalty over competence, where questioning management is penalized while obeying the "pack" is encouraged.
Negligence and Misconduct: Reports indicate that this environment often leads to high-profile scandals, including s-xual harassment, discrimination, and toxic work conditions, such as those reported at Activision Blizzard, Uber, and Papa John's.
Erosion of Trust: A lack of transparency and an "always on" pressure to conform to this lifestyle leads to burnout, high turnover, and reduced employee engagement.
CNBC
Signs of "Fratty" Corporate Culture
Exclusionary Dynamics: The environment is often "cliquey," dominated by white, straight males and a heavy focus on traditionally male interests, such as sports, binge drinking, or s-xist banter.
"Corporate Hazing": New hires may be subjected to emotional distress, bullying, and pressure to perform tasks unrelated to their jobs to prove loyalty.
Misogyny and Harassment: The culture often includes a "derisive" attitude toward women, LGBTQ+ individuals, and other minorities, often resulting in lower retention rates for these groups.
www.trentcotton.com
Consequences for the Business
Diminished Innovation: Homogeneous leadership and a "move fast and break things" mentality, which borders on hubris, can lead to ethical lapses and legal issues, limiting diverse perspectives and reducing creativity.
Reputational Damage: These cultures result in public, high-profile scandals that can lead to massive losses in market value and legal battles.
Inefficiency: The "bro-faction" atmosphere, where decisions are made informally and exclude diverse viewpoints, often results in poorer quality decision-making.
www.trentcotton.com
These dysfunctional cultures often stem from a "top-down" approach, where the behavior of senior leaders sets the standard for the entire organization.
BambooHR
@3eqg In the Electric Utility Industry supplying electricity to our customers? I would think that would be glaringly apparent to a novice outsider with no cred.
@3enb Hiring outsiders is a new thing to you at AEP? Where have you been for like 30 years?
@3ejp It is what you are using to replace employees so what does that say about leadership? Ye have little faith in the new technology replacing your dedicated and proficient employees. You really know how to inspire confidence in your leadership choices. How many self-inflicted failures in confidence have you suffered?
If you're going to ruin culture and morale by only hiring outsiders, wouldn't you want those people to at least have degrees and experience related to the position? Who's next? A new Scorecard Excellence Officer who is 'seasoned' and 'best in class' because they used to sell hotdogs? Can't wait.
Good to see AI dispenses the same gibberish as everyone else on this page.
@3ej4 Being consumed by corporate culture involves sacrificing personal time, well-being, and identity for organizational demands, often driven by fear of job loss, excessive workload, or pressure to conform. This environment prioritizes constant availability and "team player" attitudes, frequently leading to burnout, stress, and the erosion of life outside work.
Key aspects of being consumed by corporate culture include:
Pressure to Assimilate: Employees may feel forced to adopt company beliefs and behaviors, often leading to a culture of presenteeism where being "on" at all hours is expected.
Performance Anxiety: The fear of negative performance reviews, being labeled "not a team player," or being laid off drives employees to work excessive hours.
Erosion of Work-Life Balance: The lines between personal and professional life blur, with demands for constant availability and participation in after-hours events.
Emotional and Physical Burnout: The intense focus on productivity can lead to significant stress, mental health struggles, and a loss of personal identity.
Surface-Level Inclusivity: Sometimes, "culture" is used as a tool for compliance, masking deeper issues like low compensation or limited career growth.
To manage or resist this, individuals often need to set strong boundaries, define their personal purpose outside of work, and sometimes seek environments that truly value employee well-being
@3ehc The private equity firm cancer spreads unchecked.
What the he-l is Bill doing?! They let Judith and 2 other great people go! Funny thing is hes far from Texas! Why are you trying to change things over here. Texas doesn't need outside change
I find it interesting that a lot of the new IT hires aren’t even living in Columbus and able to work remotely, yet we are expected to be in the office every day. Doesn’t seem right
Companies acquired by private equity (PE) firms often experience reduced employee longevity, characterized by increased job insecurity, higher turnover, and average job losses of 4.4% to 13% within the first two years. These firms frequently implement aggressive restructuring, cutting costs, wages, and benefits to boost productivity, which significantly shortens the employment duration for many workers.
PE firms often target long-term or higher-paid employees, reducing overall staff stability.
Increased workloads, lower morale, and a shift towards viewing employees as disposable can lead to higher voluntary turnover, according to LinkedIn posts and Training Magazine
When did working at AEP become a never ending episode of Survivor?
@3dzn Pure speculation but Texas had one of the lowest scoring 2025 scorecards (because of variables outside of their control doesn’t matter - that’s how leadership sees it anyway). I could be way off and it’s all purely a coincidence. But interesting nonetheless.
@3dzw Never have so many worked so hard so, so few could do so little to earn so much.