Thread regarding Comcast Corp. layoffs

The most obvious sign layoffs are coming:

• Executives hint at layoffs using other terms, like 'restructuring' "downsizing," "reorganizing," "incremental synergies," organizational efficiency," "offshoring," "streamlining," "headcount reductions" "workforce rebalancing." "simplifying structure," "organizational improvements," "right-sizing," "simplification," and "delayering,"

• Company starts giving 'non-negotiable' job offer, assignments or projects to employees and or retirements are forced, benefits cut, packages or incentives offered to resign now

• Company is trying desperately to save its dying flagship product or business

• Lower Stock Price and Poor Performance

• A WARN notice has been issued. If more than 250 full-time employees are being let go a company must file a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) with the state's Department of Labor (DOL) 90 days prior to the layoffs. This is public information that can be found on a state's DOL website.

• Company gets acquired or has a merger or talks about a merger or IPO flops. Mergers frequently lead to layoffs to eliminate duplication.

• Company is aggressively hiring new employees in a business that is not growing at a similar rate. Normally these new employees are hired at lower cost to replace older and higher cost employees.

• New H1B hires or transfers and training of overseas functions, branches and employees.

• "Synergy" is a word that should terrify employees: "Synergy is what you get when you eliminate redundancies in your efforts to cut costs."

• There's already been a round of layoffs. The first round of layoffs is rarely the last.

• You're invited to a group meeting with the department head, and ther personal assistant confirms with you that you'll be there.

• Internal job postings get taken down or not filled.

• You're expected to do more with less and budgets dramatically cut or reduced.

• Your role and responsibilities are shifted, split or to be shared with a coworker.

• People are told they can't work from home or must report to the office on a specific day.

• The higher-ups take steps to 'improve efficiencies' and eliminate redundancy.

• Bringing in consultants to examine processes.

• Company brings in a new board-appointed CFO to look over the books.

• Higher-ups start quitting or if they start heading for the exits.

• If you start to get ton of questions about what you do.

• Requests to share passwords, training documents, and other things that may not be written down are sometimes done to smooth impending dismissals.

• The discretionary stuff is eliminated or starts to go are signs reduction-in-force is coming.

• Cost control policies implemented and expense accounts very closely monitored or curtailed

• Company bills aren't getting paid or supplier payments terms are ever increasingly over due.

• The uprooting of plants, offices and functions, shifts to overseas in low wage countries.

• "Rumors and speculation of possible layoffs coming"

• Conference rooms are booked by HR all day meetings or HR off-site meetings are signs big changes are coming.

• HR folks prefer to deliver bad news like layoffs in private and behind closed doors.

• You notice ramped-up security.

• Your access to work accounts and work related info begins to be limited or denied.

• If you're locked out of password-protected, company-monitored accounts.

• Managers are suddenly pulled into a series of meetings that span a few days.

• If managers find it difficult to directly answer questions about what is going on with all the meetings, this could serve as confirmation.

• You stop getting invited to important meetings.

• Upper management avoids eye contact or try to avoid you.

• There are more tissue boxes than usual around.

• There are a lot of empty boxes around.

• Memos to employees detailing imminent layoffs.