Aflac absolutely does make large cuts in workforce--it happens often. This is down under the guise of "restructuring" or "displacements." When cuts to the workforce are made, "displaced" employees are summoned to a room near the building's exit. Management and HR inform this employee they no longer have a job at Aflac and they are escorted off the premises. Aflac allows the employee to retain limited system access so they are able to view internal job postings in other departments for 30 days. During that 30 days these individuals are allowed to apply for other open positions. If the hiring manager chooses to make an offer that employee moves into the new role with no gap in employment. However, if the employee is not made an offer they are removed from the system and processed as a voluntary resignation. This process typically results in professional employees being forced to take jobs in the call center MANY levels below their current job function or be forced to exit the company. This has happened at an alarming rate over the past few years as Aflac has outsourced many job functions to India. IT Support employees in India are not in the company directory--most headquarter employees are not even aware these functions were outsourced. In addition, Aflac now has people in India processing Claims and policy administration. These individuals in India are directly employed by another company Aflac has contracted with. This was done so that Aflac can claim all claims and policy processes are handled in the US. When Aflac applies to be listed in publications such as Fortune or published in any "best of" lists--they still claim they do not lay people off only because they do not call their reductions "lay offs."
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Most of the best and brightest in IT are gone, all left over the past three years. The few remaining won’t be there long as they are recruited to places that appreciate their talent. Helpful insight for leadership and HR: watch your strongest swimmers, they always jump the ship first. If you’re smart, you will take heed and correct your course. Don’t let the rats steer a great company into the rocks.
These threads shed real light on just the base of the real problems at Aflac. Many managers are buddy buddy and think they are untouchable. Many within the One Digital Aflac dept, or IT dept, think they can make decisions without telling anyone. The place does not know how to communicate effectively. Even though they may say everyone follows the Aflac Way, upper management will take you up in a second and ream you out the door. Many Aflac managers are hypocritical...but don't worry, because it will come back around to bite you.
My last year at the Duck I delivered every project on or 2 to 3 months before the due date with 0 defects. I saved them $27 million by representing them in a lawsuit that my former VPs had gotten us into but were gone. I kept all my emails and the lawsuit was dropped. I consistently outperformed all my peers. I had only 1 issue, I was in my 50s. I also put in 1 day claim pay which was my design and implemented it on time. The now fired CIO took credit for me and my teams work. For all this I got a,1% raise and I got demoted. I now work for a company where I've been promoted 3 times and make 25% more money. No one with any talent or any ability should ever waste any part of their career working for these bums. Leave now, you'll never regret it.
I worked for this POS company for 17 years. I saw the writing on the wall 18 months ago and left on my own. I walked in the door of my current company day one making 23% more than I made after 17 years at Aflac. In the 18 months since, my pay raises totaled, $8300.00. Good riddance. I bet the city of Columbus regrets giving you all that land that PSA and ITC are built on back when you threatened to relocate to LaGrange.
"Smoke and mirrors" is a 100% accurate description of Aflac. Everything looks great from the outside. Almost too good to be true. But when you're on the inside, you see all the dysfunction of the incestuous Aflac culture from all levels. The ideals of the founding brothers are long gone and buried along with them. The current Amos leadership and their "yes" men and women have created a breeding ground for unethical behavior driven by pure greed. If the public knew the real story, people like the top execs at Aflac would never be celebrated in the news. They are not leaders. They intimidate and bully honest employees and promote those that are willing to go along with the corruption and promote sales.
Aflac has always been sneaky and underhanded in the way they do business. Fortunately, they have Employee Appreciation Week and throw a few crumbs to over 4500+ employees to distract them from the MAJOR disservice being done to them. And unfortunately, the masses fall for the smoke and mirrors routine.
Aflac employees...wise up!!! EAW is a joke! You deserve more than a 1/2 day show and 1.5% average raise. Good companies...truly ones that are deserve a place on any "100 Best..." list value their employees, don't outsource jobs overseas in secret, and give fair raises for a job well done without pitting employees against each other in competition.