#communication

CEO Dennis Mathew’s said TWO weeks ago that the Optimum name is more than a name change, it’s who we are and where we are going, and that the organization was deepening its commitment to customers, employees, and the communities it serves. LOL. What a lying sack of 💩. Guy said that knowing this was happening. He can never be trusted again. Management’s word is meaningless. Hapless man, garbage company.

What to Expect for Employees Transitioning to MasTec:
• Week of Dec 8: MasTec will reach out to welcome employees, share additional information, points of contact and guidance to assist with the transition.
• Week of Dec 15:
• Offer Window Opens: Employees will receive an email to their personal email with steps to generate their MasTec job offer, aligning to their current role and pay
• Roadshows Begin: Roadshows will take place throughout the month of December and into the beginning of January. MasTec will reach out with specific dates, times and locations for all employees
• January 9: Final day to accept MasTec offer
• February 2026: Employees transition to MasTec
Support During the Transition
We know this is a significant change, and we want all employees to feel supported throughout the process. Regularly updated FAQs will be posted on One and made available for all field employees soon.
We have deep respect for the teams who have worked tirelessly to strengthen this organization, and this change is intended to position us, and our people, for sustained success.
If you would lke additional information, please contact the AskHR team by opening a support ticket at AskHR, by e-mail at
HRServiceCenter@Optimum.com, or phone: 866-356-3315 during business hours of 9am to 5pm Eastern.
Thank you,
Tonya

• This message was sent to alf employees in B2C Ficia Operat/ons.

I've heard Artur went on some wild comments today during town hall.

Is it true he was throwing few strange wake up calls?

Has anyone heard anything new on if Provider Services (under Kelly B.) is still in the “safe” zone as far as layoffs (or even upcoming changes in general) are concerned? We were told on the last round we were safe, but there was not confidence on how long that would be.

Why is our manager doing one on ones to tell us, if we dont hit the full quota this month, we may not have jobs next month? Something seems fishy.

Not a good look to clinicians, clients and internal staff. Paints the company in a negative light.

Why is it so hard to keep us properly informed about what's going on? Why do we have to guess and put together scenarios based on a sentence here and an email there? What does it cost them to be open with us? Even if it's bad news, it's always better to know than just guess.

What's your #1 pick... My pick: "We are a family"

Welcome to BNY Mellon, where corporate communication is less about informing employees and more about testing their tolerance for absurdity. Think of it as a daily improv show where the punchline is always the same: we don’t believe you.

At the top of this spectacle sits Robin Vince, delivering pronouncements with the solemnity of a statesman and the substance of a clown balloon. His memos promise transformation, transparency, and trust, but associates know these are just corporate Mad Libs—insert buzzword, ignore reality. If they say “transformation,” translate it to “chaos.” If they say “transparency,” read it as “fog machine.” The safest approach is to laugh first, then check if your department still exists.

HR, Public Relations and James L. serve as the Ministry of Spin, ensuring every announcement glows with positivity so artificial even Eliza would blush. “BNY Mellon is thriving!” they declare, while associates quietly check their workloads and wonder if thriving means "dodging HR land mines" or “running on fumes.” Employees now treat official communications like parody scripts, reading them aloud in dramatic voices for comic relief.

Then there are the Directors and wannabees who rush to LinkedIn to applaud these corporate fairy tales. Their posts are the digital equivalent of clapping at a bad magic trick like a trained harbor seal: “Amazing leadership!” they gush, while everyone else mutters, “You do realize the rabbit was stuffed in the hat the whole time, right?” These cheerleaders don’t inspire confidence; they inspire memes.

Inside the company, two realities coexist like parallel universes. In one, associates slog through toxic culture, opaque decision-making, and a daily grind that feels less like a Fortune 500 firm and more like a reality TV show where no one wins. In the other, leaders announce breakthroughs, cultural transformations, and “authentic transparency” with the confidence of actors who forgot the audience already read the spoilers. The result is cognitive dissonance so bad and so intense employees could qualify for dual citizenship: one in the land of lived experience, the other in the fantasy realm of executive spin.

Distrust has become so pervasive that employees now play a game called “Spot the Lie.” Every new communication is dissected for euphemisms and omissions. “Restructuring” means layoffs. “Efficiency” means budget cuts. “Innovation” means someone discovered Teams has GIFs. The prize for winning? A sense of smug validation and the knowledge that you’re not crazy—the memo is.

BNY Mellon’s leaders may believe they’re shaping perception, but in reality they’ve cultivated a culture where disbelief is the default setting. Credibility isn’t just low; it’s subterranean. Employees don’t ask, “Is this true?” They ask, “How false is it, and how quickly will it collapse under scrutiny?” Cynicism has become the lingua franca, the coping mechanism, and the unofficial brand identity.

In the end, BNY Mellon has achieved something remarkable: it has turned corporate communication into performance art, a theater of the absurd where every announcement is greeted not with applause but with laughter, sighs, and sarcastic memes. The Executive Committee may think they’re leading a financial institution with great vision, alignment and execution, but associates know the truth: they’re trapped in a long-running satire, and the punchline never changes—we don’t believe you.

I just watched the recording and something I noticed was a rather despicable technique.

Kate said that the rumor that there will be another reorg in March isn’t true. And they can’t debunk all rumors. But the only rumor that I have ever heard is there will be massive layoffs next year after P&T is integrated into the businesses. This is a very logical thing to guess they will suddenly have extra people and they may or may not wind up needing or wanting them for their services.

She then proceeded to ask if we wanted another reorg due to all of the rumors about it, which was a “joke” in really poor taste.

Keep in mind that the LT all has media training. I believe that they intentionally debunked a rumor that makes no sense and probably doesn’t exist in order to not address the one that does. This is similar to how politicians these days will say crazy things and then walk back all but 20% of it, and then it turns out that all along their goal was to only get that 20% of bold things done.

Do not trust these people. Weasel words and sus physiognomy and body language. Jokes that serve as confessions.

Another example of this technique of answering a fake question to address a real one that can’t be handled - when asked about the future of US employees, Mark remarked that Shell is dedicated to investing in the region. This doesn’t even answer the question. Spending money the US doesn’t mean it was invested in the employees or that they won’t downsize again. Think critically and be very careful with what they say in town halls. It is literally rehearsed with PR.

What is going on at this company that close to 100 people can sit on a call like this morning and think we have the right people in charge??? It’s almost like they didn’t have months to prepare.

Hope actual leadership watch the recordings (or attempt at recordings and wrong screen share). Cut the experiment and let’s get back to work.

This was the message given by them repeatedly during session calls with mgmt and they are “frustrated” mgmt keeps saying this. Excuse me but you’re either nieve, lying or freaking clueless cause it’s absolutely freakin true

My entire team was cut after more than a decade with the company, and the way it was handled was brutal. I watched teammates vanish from slack one by one before anyone bothered to contact me. The call did not come until late in the afternoon, after hours of waiting and wondering. I envy those teams that got the news all at once, I wish that was us. The whole experience was a rough reminder of how little control we have during these decisions.

For the corporate people, has anyone else not received any communication from their manager/hr after the day they were laid off? I feel like HR should have hosted a Q&A or something. I am still doing tasks but it’s mostly crickets from upper management. I am still charging time to the project as I have not been told otherwise. I have also not been told to handover to others what I have been working on.

My store is turning into a Russell Cellular. Any thoughts on them? So far, Im not impressed with their communication and the commission seems very low compared to what I am making now.

What is it with DXC staff and email. I'm Cc'd on endless message chains. It's literally a full time job just trying to keep on top of reading it all. Can we not just have some propper systems. Unless directly asking me - I do not need to know. The point is when I do need to know - I'm not included!!! I give up on this place...

Shall we read between the lines or take some guesses aftet today's communication?

POV - Say you don’t care about people and have no idea what’s going on without saying it ……..

“I’d like to say thank you to MM for having ran the Atlantic South Market”

• Sampath

Hahahahahahahahaahahahhaah

So sick of this guy's poor English and reading from the screen. Like who's letting him speak? Does he actually contribute to problem-solving and decision making or is he just a puppet with terrible english?
This is the guy in charge of US FED/SLED from local law enforcement to our military war fighters.

ML made an external and internal song and dance about stopping doing short term activity at the expense of our long term longevity

From my experience absolutely nothing has changed though

The business has been so starved of investment over a long period of time that the only way for leadership to make a quarterly number and not get fired is by doing these short term activities which just compound the problems but let's them survive another quarter

That obviously flows down

So far apart from sapience and 10 days remote flexibility -- which in this day and age is still well below minimum expectations anywhere else - everything ML said was just empty words with no follow through. Emailing everyone telling them to work harder even though the issue is clearly under resourcing and under investment made that very clear

I’m so sick of the AI slop on Penny’s Page. Real interesting how all these em dashes started showing up after generative AI advanced. Disrespectful. Just stop posting instead of pretending we are all too stupid to notice.

Most "news" organs aren't covering what's happening at WF. Maybe if people called their local newspaper and TV news stations, they would start reporting on WF's "management" approach.

It says "Set your holiday status. Need to run to the oven to get your holiday prep ready? let your team know!".

So are they encouraging us to take care of personal errands at work?

as an employer client of Mutual of America i am disappointed to learn there could be more layoffs. We have lost some good local service team members the past couple of years, and some of these comments are a bad omen.

If there are corporate management on here, before more front line staff are laid off, listen to what your loyal customers need and want:

Better functioning website
Modern employee education
ability to submit contributions on my Android device
Improved Mobile App. this hasn't been updated for years
Retirement readiness score. there same calculators from Dinkytown have been on the website for 15 yrs. Why no upgrades ?
low amount of industry articles & newsfeeds
poor communication this is 2025 and employees can't commmunicate by Chat, text, or secure messaging
Lack of automation its paper & calls for everything. Company lacks automation
no professional money manaegment option
lack of financial planning
not enough big name investments

There you have it ! Focus on these areas and you could expand and hire more employees or at least replace the employees with AI robots or chatbots. Help us 1st !

Mutual of America, you CAN do better !

I believe that many of us as professionals fully acknowledge the necessity for our company to adapt and respond dynamically to evolving market conditions.

However, I believe the primary concern we are facing as a team is the lack of transparency from leadership. It is disheartening that employees often have to turn to external websites like this one and forums to learn about important developments, decisions, and updates affecting our work and the company's direction. This not only breeds uncertainty but also undermines trust and morale.

We kindly ask: Why can't the leaders of this company prioritize transparent communication directly with employees?

We believe that addressing this would strengthen our collective commitment and morale!

Signed, a loyal long term VBG employee.

Whoever did this is a mo--n. The way it shows up on the screen is completely confusing for customers and staff. To do this to us on Black Friday is ridiculous. Most of my customers DO NOT SPEAK ENGLISH. Trying to explain this pricing to them is impossible they don't understand it. They should have just gone with the usual 25 or 30 percent scan label.

You asked what our obstacles are so here are a few that are slowing us down

1. Jira - we spend more time trying to please the Jira g-ds than we do on development. It doesn’t work. Maybe it was good at JPMC, but not here.

2. Fortify - nothing like remediating a bunch of false positives

3. Language barriers - there are very few Americans on project calls. We can’t understand the Ind*ians and they don’t know our systems or products

These are just a few. Please feel free to chime in with more.

No one is answering any HR cases wondering if they have joined the Networks Strike or ignoring any queries. This will leave them open court cases if something isn't done soon, wonder why Jen Ragone got an award for poor delivery.

Hi everyone,
has anyone noticed that our job titles are now showing up directly in MS Teams?

Previously, if you wanted to check someone’s job title, you had to go into SuccessMap and look at their public profile. Now, when you open a manager’s org chart in Teams, you can see all team members and their job titles right away — which also makes it easy to infer their job (T) level.

This seems like a deliberate change, but I haven’t seen any communication about it.

Does anyone know why this was enabled or what the reasoning behind it might be? Curious to hear your thoughts.

mine does, both of them

The "we're a family" messaging from leadership feels completely fake at this point. It seems like most of the truly talented people have already left, and the communication here is just shocking. I regularly hear managers shouting at people in meetings and no one even bats an eye. Nothing is organized, no one knows who is responsible for what, and the execs keep selling this beautiful vision that has nothing to do with the chaotic reality on the ground. The whole atmosphere is just toxic. What the he-l has Nike turned into?

Please get your s#it together, because it is very clear and apparent that there is mass chaos going on in the c level and a couple levels below. Why would you announce broad and vague massive organizational changes yet provide zero clarity at the point in time the announcements come. Announcements that specifically call out teams/roles/jobs and not communicate the what baffles my mind as we come to the holiday season. Please go back to business school and re-take management 101 or read a simple book on organizational leadership. Thank you and have a very happy thanksgiving while the rest of us fear for our jobs.

We can’t afford to pay engineers and techs but we can afford to pay someone to send out these stupid emails??? GTFO no one reads this sh-t.

Are people going in this week? Not using any PTO, but based on the OOO messages, I’m assuming it’s going to be a ghost town.

Wild these positions we’re left untouched - some poor decisions have been made by this one impactful ones, but yet she still hold the job kind of wild that my director didn’t even have a call with us to say he was leaving Only to have no transparency of really what’s going on with this company but this one’s still kept their job

What was the deal today with that firm wide system outage between 12-1:00? Comms screens, Outlook, Zoom, Surpas all went down and rumors were saying cyber attack. It was down for over 45 minutes in my area. Not one email was sent out by the powers that be to keep us in the loop of what was broken and what ETA was. Very odd and not normal. Not sure if anyone else heard anything?

So my dept was job completed/lay off while I was on vacation. I RTO to my office which I’m by myself and remote from everyone else. My boss and 2 other remote coworkers who I only conversed with over email were let go. I never got notified and nothing in company mail. I came back from work and worked like normal and learned over the next several days what happened. I didn’t reach out. All my logins work, I get automatic generated tickets to review then send off. Everything is still working and I can continue and have been continued to do my duties. I’ve done this already for the past several weeks and even got paid.

Should I reach out my 3rd line or just lay low and keep working? In webphone I am also NOW listed under my 3rd line when before I was under my manager and my coworkers.

Any insight on what this message means?

"[We will be] initiating a two-year, $200M "cost-out" program that simplifies our matrix, improves agility and decision-making speed and enables greater investments in growth of New BD."

Had an interesting conversation with one of our customers today that said our CPO spoke to them in a condescending away, brushed aside their concerns, mumbled something about AI and the just walked away. We should probably have our sales team interact with customers only, it seems like we don't have a customer facing product team at all.

If everyone just boilerplats "confidental" on everything, does that mean nothing is confidential? You just know no one takes the time to think about it - therefore it's useless.

Should just default it to "confidental" and be done with it- and save us 3 clicks everytime we touch a document. SMH

That drill is SO ANNOYING. Who thought this was a useful idea? Using tech to hassle everyone. Great.