Lots of IT people cut in Columbus
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Abandon the past to have no measure of future success or abysmal failure by comparison.
Erase the AEP history because it shines the blinding light of truth on the fact that AEP is no longer an electric utility but rather a cannibalized asset to be stripped of all its value till employees and customers are left with a bare bones skeleton wondering where their stakeholder investments disappeared to and why they have on lights.
I am so looking forward to being done with this year so I can retire in 2026.
I'm just going to keep my head down, not volunteer for anything. Just do the minimum because this year's PMR will mean nothing to me next year.
I feel like I'm going to be sick at least once each month, maybe 2 days but not in a row. Yes, I can play their game with the best of them.
In December, I'll put in my notice for Jan 2nd or these about and will most likely just skate through December when no one is around to do anything.
If I get the 2025 ICP, fine, if not, fine.
This is not the company I hired in 30+ years ago, it's just a shell of it.
Chairman Bill has decided AEP needs a "Great Leap Forward" and that the only way we will progress into the glorious future is for AEP to shed its petty attachments to history.
Any ideas why all of the booths in the 1RP lobby (displays about AEP history, achievements, etc.) have been removed over the last few weeks? Those things were only installed about 5-6 years ago. Random benches are all that’s left.
Does anyone else think that the slow down with procurement is deliberate to slow spending in Q1&Q2, waiting for trans co approval & co evals?
The transmission reorg is getting rid of the separate disciplines and instead grouping by regions. Plus a few new teams for regional SMEs and operations engineering who will supposedly take over lots of maintenance type duties that production teams usually have to do. Basically making production engineers focus only on capital projects for insourcing
The gist of the transmission reorg was that they decided the "flattening" wasn't so great after all because managers ended up with 30+ reports, so now we're unflattening and adding back some more steps.
Transmission and Distribution planning are now under the same management chain.
Also at the director level we are dividing up people by region instead of discipline. So instead of a P&C or TLE director you have an engineering director over an entire region.
CEO Bill has destroyed the culture at AEP. We have so many leaving because of his decisions and culture and the board chooses to look the other way. So sad.
Generation's Project Management Senior VP gave her 2 week notice. Why do I feel like I'm holding a bucket bailing water out of the boat when everyone else is grabbing life jackets?
So what was it for those of us NOT in transmission?
Did you miss the giant 1000+ person team meeting today at 11 AM?
Can anyone share what the massive reorg for transmission and engineering is? I haven’t heard anything and I am in the transmission group.
Another massive reorganization for Transmission and Engineering being rolled out today. They seem to be happening monthly now.
I have all external emails go to a specific inbox. Most of those emails get deleted without reading them because they are from TCS or from some other sales person, or LinkedIn. The phishing emails stand out if you just hover over the link. Anyone with some common sense will see them for what they are.
If you want.to cut as many as possible, block the sender or unsubscribe from the emails. That should cut the number of external emails you get. Learn how to create a rule and let the system do most of the work. I've cut the number I get by 80%.
One fake fishing email and I have three different people to tell me about it. It’s like office space all over again. No lessons were learned.
I made the decision to leave (after not taking the buyout) and have woken up every morning since I left feeling so much more relaxed. I had no idea just how much that place was weighing me down until it was finally in my rear view mirror. If you had told me it would be like this 5 years ago I never would have believed it. Such a shame.
It's funny to hear from people who are no longer with the company, they sound happy with the decision to leave. I have not seen on comment where they regretted leaving. Says a lot right there. I'm sure there is that moment of not wanting to pull the trigger and leave but I don't see any regrets after making the decision.
I left coming up 3 years and no regret. I would not have been allowed to take the buyout based on some conversations with old team mates but I don't think that would have swayed me either way since I left without one when looking at the writing on the wall.
The company turned toxic. It did not happen over night. I belive this is why most of the executives left. The executives that are still here are more than likely toxic and think this is how a company should operate.
For the most part AEP can get away with running a toxic culture. They just go for a rate increase. The governments shoukd or have caught on. AEPs customers desrve better leadership or have a better utility to provide them their essential electricity.
I truly believe neopotism, favoritism, tockenism, machelism are all tge reasons AEP has turned out this way. It became obvious to me what was occuring around 2021 and 2022. No business can operate in the way leadership was leading. They just assumed they had a golden ticket and could get away with it. Senior leaders at AEP are not the answer for the company. If Bill wants to right the ship he has to do what DOGE is doing in the government. Who are the corrupt leaders at AEP that are in positions they should not be in and are these the type of leaders that would exploit their employees. Find those leaders and get rid of the. Then you can start building a team that serves their communties. Its is nit that hard to run an organization on merit, must companies have to, they cant continue to raise customet prices.
To the no-buyout guy, you made the right choice. This place is going downhill fast. Fear-uncertainty-doubt combined with declining living standards, what a dream for the employees. Qualified people leaving left and right, new hires getting such poor training they don't even know what questions to ask, let alone the answers. Blind leading the blind. No answers except admonishments to "tough it out." Bill is an id--t and has unleashed a wave of chaos. But as long as he gets his millions, who cares, life's good.
AEP is horrible at leadership. Broken promises, lies and manipulation are just a few things I have experienced. I dont know how some of the leaders can get up and talk about leadership and team. You literally have trampled over people to be in your position. Its a title. Keep lying to your self. It shows, leadership failures can not be hidden. It will show. High turnover, accidents or overbudged projects. It shows.
I'm one of those that left without a buyout because we were told our group didn't qualify for it I actually wanted to stay but at the end of the day I couldn't see myself lasting another few years when the company was treating employees differently at the core level. You couldn't pay me enough to come back as a contractor so there was issue there.
AEP in the past has always had the buyout open to every single person and this time not. For a lot of folks this was a once in a life time event that was taken from them by a company that no longer felt a need to be fair and honest with ALL employees. So, I packed up my bags, took my last ICP and left
I would have taken the buyout last year but again, was not allowed to do so. With that, I'm not doing the company any favors and they can deal with the loss.
Post from TheLayoff.com
It is shocking to me the number of employees with legacy knowledge who were known as experts in the company who have left since the voluntary severance. Things have to be pretty bad from a culture perspective if you passed on taking a buy out and then simply resigned with no added incentive less than a year later. I keep thinking I’ve seen it all and then a week later some other talented long-tenured employee leaves. Hard to believe this is what’s become of the company I used to brag about. It didn’t have to be this way.
I'm going to retire one day and I will downsize like a lot of people. Wife and I never had kids so there is no hold on us besides friends and some distance relatives. Looking at different parts of the US, when you remove all of the ill-run blue states, there are some really nice sections of the US. From a dollar standpoint, looking at no tax on SS benefits and low property taxes. Food costs and health care access are next up. Give me a walking trail at a state park and camping and we're set. You don't have to go overseas to find it.
A lot of small towns are hurting for people right here in the US so finding a new home is actually pretty easy if you're not around big cities
I’m not going back but I’m waiting until actual RTO. Then I’m just taking my equipment back. As of right now, I’m playing along and acting like all is ok. I was told I’m a “key person” but if that were true the company hasn’t shown it.
Aging adults with the kids gone downsize to a smaller footprint. The company needs to do the same. They need to get rid of the 32 story monolith downtown and move to a 6-7 story modern building outside of I270. WFH should be standard with only the essential folks and executives in the office. ROI by moving will pay for itself in time. We don't need a 32 story building downtown, who are we trying to impress? Same goes for Tulsa, South Bend and Roanoke. Downsize to smaller buildings with a design centered around WFH workforce, not a cubicle workforce. Can only dream until I leave.
I’m so bummed how toxic everything seems to be at the moment all over the company. Almost like a fever dream on how positive everyone once was.
I get really frustrated when people argue against something just because it wasn’t available to them, or because they personally don’t need it. The reality is—everyone is different. We’re all in different stages of life with different needs. Just because something doesn’t suit you, or you made it work a different way, doesn’t mean that should be the standard for everyone.
Every generation has had access to tools and opportunities the previous one didn’t. We don’t reject progress simply because someone else didn’t have the same advantages. If COVID had never happened, we probably would’ve all kept accepting the status quo—commuting daily, working 8+ hours at a desk, and dealing with all the inefficiencies that came with it. But it did happen, and now we know what’s possible. We KNOW the benefits and have been living them daily for 5 years. You can’t unring that bell.
We’ve also seen the impact of forward-thinking, collaborative, and flexible leadership. That’s another bell you can’t unring. The truth is, the newer generations entering the workforce aren’t going to tolerate rigid, closed-minded, command-and-control leadership. That style has rightfully earned a reputation as toxic, and many of us are no longer willing to pretend it’s the only way.
Some will leave immediately. Others will retire. Many are quietly quitting or quietly planning their exit while waiting for the right opportunity. The people I talk to are burned out, disheartened, and demoralized by the recent changes.
Yes, there will always be bad apples—whether you’re working from home or in the office. If someone’s going to game the system, they’ll find a way regardless of where they are. And yes, managing remote or hybrid teams takes effort. But that’s the work leadership should be doing—instead of taking the easy shortcut back to the 1980s to avoid the discomfort of necessary change.
Let’s be honest: this return-to-office mandate is happening because one person decided it should. And that decision makes sense—if the only leadership style you know is controlling and based on the need to see people to believe they’re working. It also makes sense if you don’t believe people deserve the benefits of hybrid or remote work simply because you didn’t have them.
When outcomes are the inverse of the accomplishments achieved, one need not ask how these frauds became leaders. Nepotism, cronyism, the ole boy network, promote those who do not threaten you or starkly contrast your comfortable mediocrity. It is damn hard to soar like an eagle in a company run by peacocks and strutting banty roosters. All plumage and no heart or intellect. Now I get it, we are run by a bunch of frat boys, who never achieved adolescence.
Ya can’t spell CheAEP or be CheAEP without the letters A-E-P
It is pretty sad that you have to leave AEP to reach your dreams or have oppurtunity. Leadership really needs to ask themselves whst has happened to our company.
While employees high standards have never wavered the standards corporate leadership exhibits clearly diminishes the image and reputation of AEP.
Average Cost of Daycare in Ohio:
Infant Care: $12,351 per year for center-based care.
Toddler Care: $11,125 per year for center-based care.
Preschool Care: $9,580 per year for center-based care.
School-Age Care: $5,643 per year for center-based care.
Average Cost of Daycare in Columbus, Ohio:
In Columbus, Ohio, the average monthly daycare cost for infants can reach around $1,000, while for toddlers, it's around $850, making it one of the highest in the state.
Here's a more detailed breakdown:
Infant Care:
Average monthly cost: Around $1,000
Average hourly rate: $18.32
Average weekly cost: $733
Toddler Care:
Average monthly cost: Around $850
Average hourly rate: $17.60
Average weekly cost: $704
General Daycare:
Average monthly cost: Around $825
Preschool:
Average monthly cost: Around $775
Factors Influencing Costs:
Location: Columbus is considered a more expensive area for childcare than rural areas in Ohio.
Type of Care: Center-based care tends to be more expensive than in-home care.
Age of Child: Infant care is generally more expensive than toddler care.
State and National Comparison:
Columbus's childcare costs are higher than the state average and the national average.
Ohio's childcare costs are among the highest in the nation.
Assistance Programs:
Ohio offers several assistance programs, such as the Child Care Assistance Program, Early Head Start, and Step Up to Quality, to help families afford childcare.
Another 10yr employee, who happens to be in a manager position, is leaving the company from my team. Talent is leaving and not looking back!
How is RTO a big deal? Just fly in to work every week on your private jet like Bill does. Duh!
Well it does not help our case when people's main complaint about RTO is they will have to pay for child care now. Even if they are only talking about commute time or whatever, it still sounds bad. You remember the id--ts on AEPnow before they turned off comments complaining about childcare when we went back to hybrid. All it does is make us look bad and make it easy for leaders like Bill to jump on the RTO bandwagon.
I’m going to give the daycare poster the benefit of the doubt and assume that they meant that the kids wouldn’t need to be at daycare for a full 12 hours (which could be necessary in order to fit in the commute, etc.) but that some childcare was being provided during those hours working from home. Otherwise, I agree that if kids are at the age where they need constant supervision, you should be making arrangements for their care while you work even if you’re working from your home office. You really can’t do both at the same time except maybe during some limited circumstances, such as when the child is ill and has to stay home.
Just to be clear, I wasn’t talking about AEP linemen but what I suspect are non-AEP employees bitter about their lot in life and resentful of office workers. And, my post specifically says ‘drop the kids off’ meaning at daycare, so I’m not talking about kids being home during work hours. I’m talking about kids being home during the time it would take to commute and get ready to commute.
Stop ragging on people who want to WFH who happen to have daycare aged children. There are 1000's of examples of poorly raised kids on YouTube and tic Tok. If being able to see your kids for a few minutes here and there during the day causes you heartburn, maybe your the problem. My kids are grown and out of the house. They were off to college when Covid hit so I have no skin in the game but I won't slam someone for losing a benefit from WFH.
I have Managing Directors living out of state that do not have to return and I have a worse time getting them to respond to emails than I do some first line employee WFH. Typically, if I look at someone's calendar I'll call 15 minutes into the next free hour and they pick up. I call a Mgn Dir, lucky if I get them after 2 days of trying
Simple question to one Mgn Dir, should have been a yes or no, took 2 weeks to get a maybe and another month to get a let's wait and see.
So to all of the young parents, I fully understand your concern about RTO, we never had that option when our kids were little and it would have been nice to see their first time walking instead of sitting in a meeting that had absolutely no effect on anyone's life
I expect a number of negative replies but give this generation a break, we don't have to continue to do something just because it's always been done like that in the past.
As a new engineer, the RTO has been very demoralizing, I have had to watch so many experienced and great employees leave. That being said, the other poster calling our field employees "high school drop outs and menial laborers" is either an id--t or a bad actor. The only thing you do is make yourself sound completely unsympathetic by attacking our linemen who are hard working and highly competent experts. If there is a culture problem at AEP then you that poster are part of it.