#employeerelations

Hi all, I'm Ike Swetlitz, a health journalist with Bloomberg News. I cover health insurance, among other topics.

I've been reading a lot of these posts about the buyouts. I'm trying to learn more, for a story.

If you're interested in speaking with me, I'd be grateful if you could contact me at iswetlitz@bloomberg.net or 630-544-9414 (cell phone - Signal / call / text / etc). You can be anonymous -- I will NOT print your name unless you give me permission. You can also find my contact information on LinkedIn or send me a message there (https://www.linkedin.com/in/ikeswetlitz/)

I'm trying to learn more about how many jobs are being eliminated, and when the buyouts are actually happening (now vs next year).

Thank you!

Any thoughts on authorization departments? Anyone recieved later dates then May 2027?

Arizona is led by a VP of Network and Contracting who seemed completely disconnected from what it actually takes to build successful departments. Every decision bottlenecked at the top, progress stalled, and problems lingered until they became the norm. Yet somehow the answer was never better leadership—it was always another initiative, another slogan, another “Mission Simplify.”

Mission Simplify wasn’t a solution. It felt like an admission that the executives couldn’t solve the problems they were paid to solve, so the burden was pushed onto the very employees who had been carrying the organization all along. Workers were expected to innovate, fix broken processes, absorb impossible workloads, and still somehow drag leadership across the finish line.

That’s the real tragedy: executives collecting major salaries while frontline employees did the heavy lifting. Then, when the consequences arrived, the people who built the company were the ones shown the door.

Leadership isn’t measured by titles or résumés. It’s measured by results. And when departments crumble under poor direction, accountability shouldn’t stop at the people doing the work.

There’s a certain poetic justice in discovering that a title alone doesn’t create value. Eventually every leader has to face the same reality as everyone else: your paycheck should reflect the impact you make, not the position you hold.

Anyone know if they are expanding RTO still? Has anyone been able to get an exception?

Used to be Dell employees who left Dell would come back at some point to work at Dell, this is no longer true not sure why

RUMORS HAVE ALL SORTS OF DATES IN AUGUST. ANY PLs HERE THAT CAN SHARE THE ACTUALLY DATE. RUMORS ANYWHERE FROM 7/31 TO 8/13. WHICH ONE IS IT?

Market cap shrinking. Betrayl of its employees. Outdated energy eating products. Get out folks

Let’s light JR up on this call today. Doubt we get truthful answers, but would be fun to watch her squirm.

I know it’s easy to get online and say whatever you want when you’re hiding behind anonymity.

Centene used to be a company I was genuinely proud to work for. Somewhere along the way, though, the job stopped feeling like work and started feeling like it was draining the life out of me. Every day took a little more than I had left to give.

Walking away is one of the scariest decisions I’ve ever made. I’ll probably never make this kind of money again, at least not anytime soon, and in today’s job market that’s a hard reality to face. But no paycheck is worth sacrificing your peace, your mental health, or waking up dreading every single day.

The hardest part is knowing healthcare just isn’t where I’m supposed to be anymore. These members deserve someone who still has the emotional capacity and compassion to truly show up for them. I don’t want to become the kind of person who stays just because the money is good while giving people less than they deserve.

So I’m choosing myself, even though I have no idea what comes next. It’s terrifying. It’s uncertain. But for the first time in a long time, I can finally breathe.

To everyone whose VRP was accepted, I sincerely wish you the best. I hope this scary leap turns into the fresh start we’ve all been needing.

Seems like a miniscul number from what I can see.

They changed the rules so now managers can only give out a finite amount of "exceeds expectations" - just another way Oracle is now sc--wing over employees and making teams compete internally with each other!

Any CHC people still here or has all been laid off?

Coming to a Bank near you. In fact, it is already here. Expect more love in the coming months. We are all owners. It's our culture and our people that make us special. AI and P-M are transforming our company. Always do what's "right" Rah Rah Ray Blah blah blah....

Employees throughout the company are protesting the insane requirements over opening belk cards

Most employees are no longer encouraging customers to open or use this high interest card

It’s especially concerning that senior citizens are coerced and sometimes tricked into opening such a card

Grassroots protest from store managers and associates!

I left before I was going to be piped out. I tried to move up but there was no hope for me as I was not one of the chosen ones. I was given mediocre projects while the favcs were given the high profile projects. I knew it was not going well for me. The new supervisor was friends with all the others in the group and I was an outcast. I even asked for more meaningful work and asked to work for other groups to support them. I was denied and work was taken from me. I turned in my resignation 4 years ago and left exxon. I found work at another smaller company that allows me to do engineering work. I feel better and more valued now. My pay went down but the health insurance is better and my mental health is better. There is no piping or nsi at my new company. If you do your work you are rated good. My boss knows everything I worked on and compiles the yearly review. I am okay with less money because I left with 2 million in my 401K and I payed everything off. So when you have had enough of exxon s shett leave asap. Lots of others have left because of the injustice at exxon and the terrible treatment. I hated every second at exxon and it was so demeaning.

Mike Gianoni said. "As we have in the past, we will support impacted team members, we'll provide an enhanced severance program and career transition assistance". Nothing there is true. You get 2.5 days per year instead of the standard 1 week or 2 weeks per year. No career transition assistance at all. You get a 1 time 1-1 help building a resume. Got two months after 20 years.

So when will we know if enough people accepted the package?

Any authorization specialist get a VSP approval/denial?

I’m currently on leave- no email. Can’t login to work email.. anybody else?

VSP accepted for 8/27/2027 - what the heck?!

Anyone else still waiting to get your VSP verdict ?

It pains me to say this as I think AI is the eventual ruination of the western/global economy as we know it, and the replacement will be a cold and emotionless standard which will ki-l human innovation/motivation and cause prolonged malaise.

However, if you want to continue your employment with Cigna (at least in the near term), you need to be embracing the AI tools provided to you. Bonus points if your mgr can report that you have generated some breakthrough with the use of AI.

Usage is being tracked and scores tabulated.

AI adoption (or not) will drive the next couple rounds of layoffs.

CM here. Last day is December 11th 2026 due to work needs

All company meeting ELT says 70000 ppl company so 12000 layoff ?

last day is 9/4 and I'm a service coordinator

Seperations dates have been pushed out!! I bet none of us will ever see this money.

My VSP application was accepted, what happens now?
• Please notify your people leader of your VSP application acceptance and work together to plan for a successful transition of your responsibilities. Centene will proactively notify your people leader of your acceptance by July 31; therefore, we encourage you to connect with your people leader in advance of this notification

I wonder what she is seeing that makes her want to abandon ship?

there are five extended separation dates according to the updated FAQ:

• December 2026
• March 2027
• May 2027
• August 2027
• November 2027

the FAQ details how extended separation dates would impact severance benefits... but being asked to stay until November 2027 is just wild AF to me. my limit is December 2026 and that's pushing it, 'cause I'm over it.

Recent layoffs at ESPN have highlighted significant issues in how the company communicates with its employees. Several prominent figures reportedly learned of their terminations through indirect channels, such as social media or news reports, rather than directly from management. This lack of controlled communication has led to a breakdown in trust and raised questions about leadership's execution of these difficult decisions. The article emphasizes that while layoffs are a necessary business function, the process of delivering the news should be handled with professionalism and respect. This incident serves as a cautionary tale for all organizations on the importance of managing sensitive information effectively.

https://barrettmedia.com/2026/07/27/espn-layoffs-what-managers-should-learn/

I met with a high level and well connected employee recently to try get some answers about my ultimate potential. This person works with D&S for my job family in succession planning. I was very honest about how I don’t see a future with ExxonMobil. The person tried hard to basically convince me that the pension is worth sticking it out for since I have put in two decades with the company already and am in my forties. The person then went on to describe how in the not too distant future there won’t be any employees at EMHC left other than those who are still needed to mentor the BTC. The person made statements like you are old enough and close enough to retirement that you can make it. My takeaway was the future for old people is to train India to take all the jobs. The future for young people is to be fired. I suggest young people wise up and leave before you are fired and that old people decide if this is the future you want to be a part of. I do not.

People leader just got an e-mail saying notifications will come out in waves throughout the day

Big Tech companies are increasingly considering voluntary buyouts as a more humane approach to workforce reductions. Google employees are advocating for these offers to be a standard first step before layoffs. Microsoft has already implemented a voluntary retirement program with significant uptake. While buyouts can be less damaging to morale, they offer less predictability than traditional layoffs. The shift reflects the growing maturity of tech companies and their aging workforces.

https://www.businessinsider.com/big-tech-considering-voluntary-buyouts-2026-7

Los Angeles Unified School District approved significant staff pay raises despite receiving a letter from the Los Angeles County Office of Education warning of severe budget concerns. The district proceeded with the raises, which will cost approximately $1.2 billion annually, just days after the warning. This decision has led to projections of a $3.6 billion negative reserve balance by 2029. Consequently, the district's own projections indicate the elimination of nearly 6,000 positions over two school years. Parents and advocacy groups have criticized the district's management and decision-making process.

Los Angeles, California

https://nypost.com/2026/07/26/us-news/smoking-g-n-letter-reveals-lausd-ignored-dire-budget-warning-before-approving-huge-staff-pay-raises/

Pat McAfee responded to criticism linking his reported high salary to recent ESPN layoffs. He expressed sympathy for colleagues who lost their jobs, stating he hates seeing such events occur. McAfee acknowledged the difficult decisions corporations make and the negative narrative surrounding his contract. He emphasized his show's pride in its work and hopes to remain an asset to ESPN. The broadcaster also noted that NFL teams do not typically conduct layoffs like corporations do.

https://www.aol.com/articles/pat-mcafee-responds-rumors-blame-195712000.html

I quit five years ago and received and offer recently. I thought coming back to USAA would feel familiar in a good way. Instead, I walked into a building full of hopeless faces, a toxic atmosphere, and my first meeting was a layoff discussion. People I had worked with before were gone. The place I remembered didn't exist anymore. I handed in my resignation before my second month was up.

The only people I know who aren't job-hunting are the ones who can see the retirement finish line. They hate it, but they're hanging on. One colleague is less than six months away, he'd love to be laid off, get a paid summer and unemployment. I keep telling him they won't do him that favor. But I get it.

Now we're nothing but a joke. It breaks my heart to see how we're being systematically destroyed and there's nothing we can do to stop it.

Every new manager we get seems less qualified than the last. It's like they're hiring for incompetence.

Why would anyone in that group still give their all?