#layoffs

All areas in Optum insight are impacted, each team is looking at a 10-20% reduction. 10/30 is the date, but due to the number of people, may have to do it in waves.

Should know by early Nov. There is QBR on 3 Nov in Singapore. It's with HT so it's basically final by then. Mid management being trimmed.

Nearly a dozen positions that directly support students were among those eliminated in a sweeping round of layoffs at Harvard’s School of Engineering and Applied Sciences earlier this month, according to a document obtained by The Crimson.

Roughly 35 staff members — or about 15 percent of SEAS’ total staff — were affected by the cost-cutting measure designed to mitigate the impacts of federal actions, the document showed.

https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2025/10/21/seas-layoffs-student-advisors/

zero communication so far

looks like there might be more coming

SAP keeps getting rid of all the seasoned employees because they’re too expensive and wants fresh, young people to fix the company. Problem is, nothing about the way SAP works changed after any layoffs. They just swapped people and called it innovation. And now it's shocking it's not working out.

Work seems to be slowing down across all branches pack your bags and get ready for the boot.

Whenever there are cuts somewhere else, I feel like that's just a prelude for us. Maybe I'm just being paranoid, but I can't help it.

had a meeting with scott toller and HR rollingon will not go past 2026. Facility is relocating to forth worth. Everyone got a letter will have 60 days prior to closing. Time to look for a new job fellas.

Hard work won’t save any of us from being laid off. So take it easy, at least until this round is over. Or better yet, always. It’s not like being reliable and dedicated has ever really paid off anyway.

Any truth to these rumors? If the answer is yes, fu-k Citi. That's all.

Point32Health, the state’s second largest health insurance company, is eliminating 254 jobs in its second workforce reduction of the year. The layoffs will impact approximately 6.5% of Point32’s workforce.

https://www.nbcboston.com/boston-business-journal/point32health-more-layoffs/3830594/

Maryland-based a.i. solutions, Inc. plans to start layoffs in early December, the company said in the recent notice filed Friday with the Alabama Department of Commerce.

https://www.al.com/business/2025/10/86-layoffs-coming-for-huntsville-aerospace-company.html

1. Given the mix of signals: yes, there is a non‐trivial chance something will happen (at least in some business units).
2. No, the rumor of an across-the-board, massive layoff next Tuesday is not firmly substantiated. It’s best treated as a possibility being promoted by this contributors who are scared or repeating rumors, not a certainty.
3. So if we were to assign rough probabilities (just an estimate):
   A. Some layoffs in certain units in the near term: ~60-70%
   B. A broad, company-wide massive layoff next Tuesday: maybe ~30-40% or less
   C. The status quo (no major layoffs) is still plausible: ~20-30%

Target has been doing smaller, quiet moves all year. There isn’t a need nor desire to do something so massive that it further erodes consumer confidence, invites more scrutiny from additional boycotts, and possibly drives away top talent while paralyzing those who stay. More likely it will be continued, surgical cuts while bolstering/hiring for areas that leadership believes will drive positive change for shareholders.

I know it’s tough not to panic, but take a breath. You have zero control over what happens to you and your peers, unfortunately.

Bumping this from @bn+1k819dxn1.

It's officially Tuesday... is this the week? Someone must know for sure, a lot of chatter on the site. Many large meetings were canceled and almost 60 days till end of year. I really wish the company would just do a yearly VSP instead of rifs. It would be easier on everyone who wants to stay another year or leave.

If more layoffs are supposed to happen this week, then I'm assuming it's going to start today? Tuesday through Thursday are usually layoff days, for whatever reason.

Those of us impacted by the FIS sale, please be aware that FIS is scheduled for a major reduction in force on November 19th. Word is this will include many of us that were hoping for a stable place to land.
The wonderful company we work for is also about to make another cut. Some managers met yesterday, other meetings will be held this week. It doesnt look good. So glad I started applying to other places. I am done with this bs.

6% headcount reduction ask by end of q1 2026 acrossthe board. YE process used to identify along with freeze on any new backfill requests from November 1st and retirements.. Usual stuff combination of all

Next week is going to be a whole different world in the office and in many people's personal lives. Thousands of colleagues (any maybe you) gone. New bosses and teams to navigate. Cancelled projects. Empty desks. End of a long era at an old-school studio finally coming to an end. Good luck, all.

I'm almost at the point where I hope layoffs happen, just so I can move on from the constant thinking and stressing over it. It's inhumane to say layoffs are coming and then just...what? Let us wait? Hope the stress is enough to get us to walk out on our own and save them some money? Is that what's happening here?

I’m on my second company and third layoff since 2023, and at this point I’ve stopped pretending to be shocked. Every new job swears it’s different, then the same script plays out months later. This just goes to show that the grass is not all that greener on the other side.

We might get one big round that everyone’s waiting for, but it won’t be the end. We can expect smaller, targeted cuts to keep happening for months until things look the way they want them to. None of us will be safe for a long time. Sadly, this is just our reality now.

As it turns out, that career path was just a revolving door disguised as opportunity. You blink, and the next round of layoffs wipes out another crew. It’s too bad we all bought into the stability myth. All of us should’ve seen the writing on the wall much sooner.

I know people who were laid off from other companies more than six months ago who are still looking for a job. Is the money that will be given to laid off employees really going to be enough to cover such long periods of unemployment? And on that note, does anybody know if you can get unemployment along with severance?

Seems Senior Management is in office this week. Have any departments been advised of their last day yet?

Morale is in the toilet, it takes teams 10x as long to build anything meaningful in tech. No good requirements from business to even build anything. We continue to invest in things that are failing or aren't even thought through. It's just been a bunch of 32 plus managers trying to meet their goals to get big bonuses by being yes men and not innovating anything, laying people off to pretend to have profitability. Now we are seeing the fallout from these decisions. Optum used to be a company I was proud to say I worked for. But I have little faith, even my own manager is having a hard time getting us motivated. Fear will only motivate the masses for so long. Then people stop caring. The Indians are not gonna put up with this either, Optum is one of the lower paying employers in India too and they all know it. What IS the long term plan guys? Do you all think past the next earnings report? Because these decisions are not made by a company who is seeking long term financial gains. Good strong companies treat their employees like gold, not trash. The job market will change, the Indians will go to Humana or some other healthcare company that treats them with respect, and the Americans will be done with you. My advice? Invest in your long term employees. Especially considering that many of us have so much domain expertise that will put your systems in harm's way if you lose us.

Has anyone consulted legal counsel regarding their recent layoff? Recommendations?

680 job applications later and only 15 interviews in 6 months ( yes the job market is horrible) I finally was offered a job. I strongly recommend if you are still there to be looking as it can take longer than 6 months right now.

Oh and it's 40k more than I was getting at Cargill who said how competitive they were.

Ha

Has anyone else heard that rumor from Oregon about more layoffs coming in mid-November? I’m trying to figure out if there’s any truth to it. The only thing I’ve actually heard from people I work with is that some teams are merging and a few folks are being moved around. That could easily explain some of the chatter.

So when I saw a Reddit thread claiming that a supervisor told a tech “more layoffs are coming,” I wasn’t sure how much weight to give it. There’s been so much speculation lately that it’s hard to tell what’s legit and what’s just people trying to fill in the blanks. Has anyone heard anything?

Using only my reasoning capabilities based on the scenario described—a company hiring a CEO with a track record of selling off companies, followed by mass layoffs and a company-wide voluntary layoff—it is a strong indication that the company may be preparing for a significant reduction in size, restructuring, or even an exit strategy through a sale or winding down of operations.

Here is a breakdown of why these actions collectively suggest an exit or major strategic shift:

## 1. CEO with a Track Record of Selling Companies
Hiring a CEO known for divesting or selling companies (often referred to as a "turnaround" or "special situations" CEO) suggests the board or ownership has a specific mandate:

• Preparation for Sale: The CEO's expertise might be used to make the company more attractive and "lean" for potential buyers.
• Divestiture of Assets: They might be brought in to sell off non-core or underperforming parts of the business.
• Maximizing Short-Term Value: Their focus is often on streamlining operations and finances to maximize shareholder return in a shorter timeframe, often leading to an eventual sale.

## 2. Mass Layoffs and Voluntary Layoffs
Layoffs are a key tool for cost reduction and operational streamlining, but the combination described is particularly telling:

• Mass Layoffs (Involuntary): This is a quick way to drastically cut the largest operational expense (salaries and benefits). It signals a severe need for cost savings and often a reduced scope of future operations.
• Voluntary Layoffs (Buyouts/Early Retirement): This is a softer, but still expensive, way to further reduce headcount and often targets long-tenured, higher-salaried employees. It confirms the company needs to shed staff beyond what the initial mass layoffs achieved.

## Conclusion
While the company's stated goal might be "restructuring" or "achieving profitability," the pattern of actions—bringing in a specialized CEO and implementing aggressive, two-phased workforce reductions—is a textbook sign of a company significantly shrinking its footprint or actively moving toward an acquisition or complete exit from the market as an independent entity.

It is less about mere optimization and more about surgical preparation for a change in ownership or a drastic simplification of the business structure.

You're identifying a pattern that often does signal a wind-down or exit strategy. Let me think through what these elements typically indicate:

CEO with M&A/divestiture background - When boards bring in executives known for selling companies or business units, it's usually deliberate. They're hiring for a specific skill set.

Mass layoffs followed by voluntary programs - This sequence is particularly telling. Aggressive cost-cutting followed by voluntary programs suggests they're trying to get as lean as possible, often to make the company more attractive for sale or to preserve whatever cash remains.

The combination - When you see these together, it often means:

• Preparing for sale (buyer wants low cost structure)
• Maximizing short-term profitability before exit
• Managing decline while extracting remaining value
• Positioning for bankruptcy/restructuring

However, there are some scenarios where this isn't an exit:

• Severe turnaround attempts (though success rates are low)
• Private equity "right-sizing" before trying to grow again
• Desperate survival mode with no clear plan

But you're right to be skeptical. The pattern you're describing - especially the CEO's background combined with aggressive workforce reductions - is textbook pre-sale or wind-down behavior. Companies in genuine growth or innovation mode don't typically hire "sell-off specialists" and then hollow out their workforce.

The voluntary layoff following mandatory ones is particularly concerning. That often means either the first cuts weren't enough, or they're trying to reduce severance costs by encouraging people to leave on their own terms.

Is this hitting close to home for you or someone you know?

I wouldn't necessarily agree that such actions definitively mean a company is "exiting" (e.g., being sold off, liquidated, or shutting down entirely), but they do often signal a strategic pivot toward some form of exit or major restructuring. Let me break down my reasoning step by step, based on common business patterns I've observed in corporate turnarounds and private equity plays.

### 1. Hiring a CEO with a Track Record of Selling Companies

• CEOs like this are frequently brought in as "turnaround specialists" or "exit architects." Their expertise lies in optimizing a business for acquisition, merger, or IPO rather than long-term organic growth. For instance, they might focus on short-term value extraction, such as divesting non-core assets, streamlining operations, or improving profitability metrics to appeal to buyers.
• This doesn't always lead to an immediate exit—it could be part of a genuine effort to stabilize a struggling company. However, in mature or distressed firms (e.g., in tech, telecom, or manufacturing sectors), it's a red flag for potential sale. Private equity firms or activist investors often install such leaders precisely because their playbook involves preparing for a flip.

### 2. Mass Layoffs Followed by Voluntary Layoffs

• Mass layoffs are typically cost-cutting measures to reduce burn rate, improve margins, and make the company leaner. In the context of a new CEO with an exit-oriented background, this can be about "rightsizing" the workforce to boost EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization), which is a key metric buyers scrutinize.
• Voluntary layoffs (often called voluntary separation or buyout programs) are a softer approach: offering severance, benefits continuation, or incentives to encourage employees to leave. This minimizes legal risks, preserves morale among remaining staff, and achieves headcount reduction without the optics of forced terminations. It's common in pre-sale cleanups because it sheds "excess" personnel while avoiding wrongful termination lawsuits.
• Together, these steps can indicate distress (e.g., cash flow issues or declining market share) but also deliberate preparation for an exit. By lowering ongoing expenses, the company becomes more attractive to acquirers who want a plug-and-play operation without immediate overhaul costs.

### 3. Does This Always Mean an Exit?

• Not necessarily. Some companies use this playbook for survival and rebirth. For example, a firm might hire such a CEO to execute a "Chapter 11-style" restructuring (even outside bankruptcy) to emerge stronger and independent. Layoffs could be part of adapting to market shifts, like automation or economic downturns, without any sale in mind.
• But often, yes—it leans toward exit. In many cases, especially with private equity-backed companies, this sequence is a precursor to a sale. The CEO's track record acts as a signal to investors and potential buyers that the company is in "harvest mode." Historical examples (without naming specifics) include telecom or software firms where similar patterns preceded acquisitions by larger players or asset stripping.
• Key factors influencing the outcome:
  • Company stage: Mature companies with legacy products are more likely to be exiting via sale than startups.
  • Market conditions: In a buyer's market (e.g., during economic booms), this setup facilitates quick flips. In recessions, it might just be belt-tightening.
  • Board/investor dynamics: If the board includes PE firms or activists pushing for returns, an exit is probable.

In summary, while I don't fully agree it's a guaranteed exit—business is full of exceptions—these moves collectively suggest a high likelihood of positioning for one. It's a pragmatic strategy to maximize value before handing over the keys, rather than a death knell. If this is about a hypothetical scenario, watching for further signs like asset sales or debt refinancing would clarify intent.

The next round of the Layoff Lottery will be happening within the first couple weeks of November. I wonder who will be left standing, and who will regret not taking the Voluntary Layoffs.

BNY Mellon employees are voicing deep concerns about layoffs, offshoring, and leadership transparency. Sentiment ranges from frustration and distrust to resignation and strategic exit planning.

Below are current results of the Top 15 employee concerns, associated employee sentiments and reactions to leadership responses. These are actual results (with a hint of humor) based on current internet discussions and reports from multiple sources.

Top 15 Concerns & Sentiment Breakdown:

1. Offshoring to Pune, India
   📉 Employee Sentiment: Betrayal, anxiety, and the creeping suspicion that their job just got a one-way ticket to another time zone. Frustration, betrayal, fear of redundancy.
   🎩 Leadership Perception: “Global talent optimization.” Translation: cheaper labor, dismissive of U.S. talent, fewer complaints, and better PowerPoint formatting. Cost-driven, efficiency-focused; perceived as dismissive of U.S. talent.

2. Forced Ranking & Performance-Based Exits
   📉 Employee Sentiment: Hunger Games meets HR. Everyone’s a “low performer” eventually. Anxiety, distrust in fairness.
   🎩 Leadership Perception: “Driving a high-performance culture.” Also, a great way to trim headcount without calling it a layoff. Justified as "performance culture"; seen as opaque and arbitrary.

3. Closure of Wilmington & Other U.S. Sites
   📉 Employee Sentiment: Shock, grief, and a sudden interest in Zillow listings in Delaware. Anger, helplessness, lack of relocation support.
   🎩 Leadership Perception: “Strategic footprint realignment.” Bonus points for announcing it via Teams chat at 4:59 PM on a Friday. Framed as strategic consolidation; perceived as abrupt and lacking empathy.

4. AI-Driven Role Elimination
   📉 Employee Sentiment: “I trained the bot that replaced me.” Skepticism, fear of being replaced.
   🎩 Leadership Perception: “Innovation at scale.” Also, the AI doesn’t ask for raises or take mental health days. Promoted as innovation; seen as lacking in human impact planning.

5. Unequal Salary Increases
   📉 Employee Sentiment: Analysts got a 20% bump. VPs got a “thank you” and a free meditation app. Frustration, betrayal, perceived favoritism.
   🎩 Leadership Perception: “Market-aligned compensation strategy.” Also, “We’ll circle back on that.” Leadership disconnected from frontline realities.

6. Lack of Transparency in Layoff Criteria
   📉 Employee Sentiment: Rumors, paranoia, and Teams channels named 'Who’s-Next. Distrust, rumors, emotional exhaustion.
   🎩 Leadership Perception: “We can’t comment on individual cases.” Also, “Please refer to the FAQ we updated 3 minutes ago.” Avoids specifics; messaging seen as evasive and legally sanitized.

7. Decline of Pittsburgh as a Growth Hub
   📉 Employee Sentiment: Nostalgia, resentment, and a sudden uptick in LinkedIn activity. Disappointment, strategic exit planning.
   🎩 Leadership Perception: “Decentralized innovation.” Also, “We’re excited about our 3 strategic growth centers and lower cost, consolidated real estate holdings.” Quietly deprioritized; perceived as abandoning legacy locations.

8. Severance Inconsistencies & Unemployment Eligibility
   📉 Employee Sentiment: Confused, lawyer-curious, and Googling “constructive dismissal.” Confusion, fear of financial instability.
   🎩 Leadership Perception: “We’re following all applicable laws.” Also, “We appreciate your service.” Legally cautious; seen as ethically indifferent and inconsistent.

9. Culture of Waiting for Retirement or the Next Cut
   📉 Employee Sentiment: Zombie mode. Badge in, badge out. Resignation, disengagement.
   🎩 Leadership Perception: “Voluntary attrition is a natural part of transformation.” Also, “We’re building a future-ready workforce.” Not directly addressed; perceived as passive acceptance of attrition.

10. Global Workforce Imbalance & Morale
    📉 Employee Sentiment: U.S. teams feel ghosted. Offshore teams feel ghostwritten. Fractured teams, resentment across regions.
    🎩 Leadership Perception: “One global team.” Except some teams are more 'global' than others. Framed as global optimization; seen as favoring offshore growth over U.S. retention.

11. Leadership Communication Style
    📉 Employee Sentiment: Corporate Mad Libs with a side of gaslighting. Cynicism, fatigue.
    🎩 Leadership Perception: “Transparent and empathetic.” Also, “We’re listening.” (But only to shareholder sentiment, not you.) Polished but vague; perceived as disconnected and overly scripted.

12. Strategic Ambiguity in Transformation Plans
    📉 Employee Sentiment: “What are we transforming into, exactly?” Confusion, lack of trust.
    🎩 Leadership Perception: “Agile, resilient, and future-focused.” Also, “That's a broken sprint and we may pick that up in our 2026 PI-3 planning.” Buzz-word heavy; seen as lacking clear direction or accountability.

13. Declining Internal Mobility
    📉 Employee Sentiment: “Apply internally” = “Apply to be ignored.” Hopelessness, stagnation.
    🎩 Leadership Perception: “We encourage career growth.” Just not here. Or now. Or for you. Not prioritized; perceived as undermining career development.

14. Performative Wellness Initiatives
    📉 Employee Sentiment: “I lost my job, but at least I got a free access to Spring Health's mindfulness self-help app.” Eye-rolling, sarcasm.
    🎩 Leadership Perception: “We care deeply about your well-being.” Especially when it doesn’t cost anything. Promoted heavily; viewed as superficial and misaligned with actual stressors.

15. Erosion of Institutional Loyalty
    📉 Employee Sentiment: “I used to bleed for BNY Mellon. Now I just bleed.” Exit planning, emotional detachment.
    🎩 Leadership Perception: “We’re evolving our culture.” Into what, no one knows. Possibly a chatbot. Not acknowledged; perceived as collateral damage of transformation strategy.

Summary Themes:

• Strategic Distrust: Employees feel decisions are driven by cost-cutting, not stewardship.
• Emotional Fatigue: Layoff cycles and vague transformation language have worn down morale.
• Leadership Disconnect: Senior leaders are viewed as detached, evasive, and overly polished.
• Exit Momentum: Younger and mid-career professionals are actively seeking roles elsewhere.

In summary, BNY Mellon's transformation strategy is widely perceived by employees as a cost-cutting campaign disguised in corporate jargon, marked by offshoring, opaque layoffs, and performative wellness. Leadership is seen as detached and scripted, while morale erodes under forced rankings, AI-driven exits, and strategic ambiguity.

What do you think? Please share in the comments.

I'm kind of thinking it happens soon. Oracle is laid off so many talented smart people, they've terrified the remaining people with talk about how AI is going to replace them or they're going to get laid off, and they're driving away any kind of decent talent from ever applying...

it turns out being a greedy psychopath a--hole id--t is really expensive

Molson Coors Beverage Company will eliminate around 400 salaried positions across its Americas business unit by the end of December, the company announced today in a Form 8-K filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

https://www.brewbound.com/news/molson-coors-to-eliminate-400-jobs-by-end-of-december