Thread regarding American Electric Power Co. Inc. layoffs

7400 eligible out of 16,800 employees. Communication being released shortly.

Look at work day. It’s a thing.

There are easier ways to find the leak. The issue is when it was leaked, sr mgmt. just made it worse by not saying a word about the plan. You're messing with people's lives at this stage. They are more concerned about the stock price than the employees. Well, if it is true and we'll know shortly, I know I'll take it if I meet the requirements. If not, the culture at AEP is dead and it's now just a job that I work 40 hours and be dam if I'll take a call on the weekends.

This plan has been in place for a several weeks. The delay is not to stop the plan but to find the leaker. This is going to be very unpopular but lots of people are going to take advantage of it. I believe that Sr. “Leadership” is not trying to avoid it, they are trying to message it to prevent it being clearly their fault.

I agree but the Board did meet today. Not sure they would have made an announcement at 4 pm on a Tuesday. It would be more likely they would say something tomorrow or Thursday if they at all. You're not going to get anything out of IT MGMT staff, these are the same people that told everyone TCS was here to fill in gaps. They'll lie to the staff at a drop of a hat if it makes themselves look better. Your right, if it doesn't work out this time, there's always next quarter.

As more time goes by, this seems like a rumor run amok. Surely if upper management is planning something they won't let it go this long without at least a "heads up" video. I feel a lot of folks that have been looking forward to this are going to be disappointed - especially if there is nothing announced soon.

That's the problem with a rumor, nothing is concrete. Board would have to approve it based on the amount of money that will be paid out. I could see them wanting to get all of the cuts behind them before a new CEO is named. Let Ben take the heat for the Layoffs and buy outs.

Any more news about the buy outs or layoffs ?

Tata Consultant Services. They are out of India.They don't produce anything, they just take over US jobs, ship them overseas and pay a whole lot less You get what you pay for. They are a joke and no where near the caliber of US techs, they're just cheaper.

I am a spouse of an AEP employee. What is TCS?

I think a lot of people are hoping the Board approves the buy out and for a small group of people, they can move on to another job or retirement. Personally I hope enough critical people leave to make TCS sweat because they know they don't have the staff to support a utility. I get the feeling these guys come from other accounts that do not have the application set AEP does and they are just over their heads.

@1zyco+1qB6FXi3 I’m not really sure how you got as many down reacts as positive ones. I’m in the same boat as you. Everything changed. While I don’t want to be fired if there was severance offered if you choose to leave I would jump on it. I would think anyone that is considering leaving would at least strongly considerate it. Maybe we are just being trolled on here by someone with nothing better to do. But I hope that it’s true about the severance.

I went from loving this place to wishing I’d never worked here very quickly. The rumors I’ve read on here really got my hopes up about voluntary lay offs. I don’t know where that information came from but I’m doubtful my department will be offered it. If we are I know a few that will be wanting it. Trying to limit my expectations is all.

I don't mind the work, grew up on a farm, I can handle the work load. What I can't handle is all the backstabbing from management. Putting people on PIPs for no other reason than to drive them out to make room for cronies. We'll know either by 9a or not

I would think it's opened to everyone if all you want to do is lower O&M cost. Who cares which BU provided the savings, it helps with O&M cost. As far as the amount, think you're looking at 6 months max, plus whatever you have saved as vacation.

Do we think the voluntary layoffs are mainly in the opcos, or Corp also? Would they even entertain this in IT given recent deep cuts? I’m in IT and would really like to leave if there’s an opportunity to do so with fair severance. I was reorg’d into a new area and it’s just miserable. Too much work. Disorganized. I want to leave.

@1wide+1qB6FXi3 you know they did that so they could justify giving all of their buddies a 10-15% pay raise to leave Target, Country Financial, JCP and BB. They're not stupid, are they worth it, no. After Therace leaves, watch, they'll all leave a few at a time to start the entire process over again at another company. She'll sell the next company a lie about how well it went at AEP and any issues was with the employees and the economy. But things will be so much better here. Just sorry for the other company and their IT staff when it happens.

Next week could be a bloody mess if the rumors are true. Possible they may not get the numbers the need. Would that lead to forced layoffs again a month from now maybe. What if they only get 500 folks to leave, maybe they have to sweeten the pot or just cut people. Either way, anyone thinking of leave should just go and be done with it

Once they brought in failed leadership from failed organizations it was game over for IT at AEP. They refused to leverage the amazing long-term resources internally and only wanted outside hires to bring in buddies from said failed organizations. I personally saw several times leadership ignore internal talent with years of utility experience to bring in people from retail companies that don't know how utilities function. Therace ignored budgetary constraints and continued to blow out IT budgets for diversity hires and new VP roles while ignoring core needs and innovation. You reap what you sow, the Columbus market is better for the failure of one individual with all this amazing talent hitting the market.

IT Management will regret the company providing this to everyone in IT. I can't say how many would take the offer at only 6 months but they must think enough will take it not to offer a full year. If offered a full year I would think they might get more than 2000. Personally I would have to seriously think about it if offered a year, not sure about only 6 months.

Leadership is about to ask for volunteers willing to leave in exchange for (up to six months) severance. Looking for 1500-2000 people to volunteer as jump off the ship while Therace and other VPs keep drilling holes in the boat and blaming everyone else for the sinking.

Can only hope Karma catches up with the managers most responsible for tearing the company apart. There was no need for it and it was 100% avoidable.

Any time someone complains about energy prices, I show them what low level managers make. Imagine being so overpaid for a skill-less job and still being bad at it. Hopefully they force more than just the one cyber manager out. It's not surprising our ICP was so low with the management taking huge cuts.

Notice the demographic changes taking place in the company? People seem to be hired or promoted based on anything but skill and merit when it comes to higher level positions in some BUs. Seems the folks have to come from the outside, if you've been with the company for a long time you can forget about moving up. Take your 2-3% pay raise each year and be happy you have a job. The word career has no meaning at AEP anymore. Pretty bad how quickly the company went south and only focus now is on the bottom line and EPS.

As a veteran as well, what I've noticed lately has been an actual distain for long term employees. I've have the feeling over the past 3-4 years they want to push people out before the hit 7-8 years. Lack of promotions, adding so many requirements that getting to the next level is not worth the effort since they would rather replace you with a TCS contractor that couldn't find his but even with both hands on his cheeks or some kid with a year or two of experience.

I regret going over seas and fighting a war for America, to return and work decades for a company such as AEP. AEP does not value veterans. They use us as pawns for a political gain. I wish more veterans would stand up and say something. Whats going on right now is not correct, and if you are watching it without saying something you are allowing it. Don't be a follower stand up and say something. This is why I believe senior leaders have left. If you are a front line employee complain about bias promotions. They are hurting the company,communities and our country.

It's pretty obvious that Mgmt doesn't care about the employees. If they did, they would not have approved TR gutting IT. As for the other departments, I know they have their own issues with supporting employees. The relationship between the company and employees is more than just money but TR wants to only make it about the dollars saved. You have to expect employees to lose all respect for the company. I've heard so many people saying they just don't care. If the company doesn't care about my well-being, why should I care about what happens to the company.

What some here are missing is, upper management does not care. They brought this mess on, they’ve ignored the fallout, it was brought directly to Julie, and still nothing. Upper management does not care. Plain and simple.

There's a lot of talk about other big names leaving Chicago, don't expect ORI to save us. 1st Qrt results will be in at the end of the month. That'll be fun if we miss. Personally I'd like to see us miss it and for TR to blow through the budget. May have to suffer more to get rid of her . Trick now is to find someone d-mb enough to want her.

Agreed, its pretty bad. The amount of destruction with culture and losing knowledgeable people really puts a different level of stress on everything. Promotions are a joke and a thing of the past. Job hopping or leaving is about the only way to get ahead. Hopefully with TR being on the board for ORI is a light at the end of the tunnel. Also noticed Julie is still part of AEP as a consultant. What a mess

It is getting worse and worse day by day. Many times the critical systems are down and we don't have enough resources to fix. Most of the time we have to keep following up with infra teams to get things done.
Talking about ICP, I was the senior member of our team with lots of domain knowledge but still got the least ICP....Joined in 2022 when market was good, but now feel, I made a big mistake by joining...

YES. Everyone got shafted.

ICP has not been anywhere close over the last few years to what it used to be even 4 years ago. You have leadership to thank. They make the decisions and everyone else suffers for it.

ICP is not only the percentage, but in the good times mgmt would be given a block of additional funds to distribute as they saw fit. Between your performance review, team ranking, (yes they rank you) and how much your manager likes you pretty much determines whether you get anything substantial.

Since AEP recruits candidates with the idea of "the reason salary is not comparable with other players in the market is we have an ICP program".

They need to get it together. Other cental Ohio employers base pay now out paces AEP base and ICP combined. So the mass exodus will continue to those other employers.

Did anyone else get sc--wed over on their ICP that deserved one? I talked to my ex-co workers and what they got and what I got were MILES apart! I reached out to my former boss and she said it was correct and within her right to give me that amount. That AGAIN is just an example of how AEP doesn’t care about their culture and how they treat people. Most of the upper management needs axed and they deserve to be taken behind the woodshed and taught a lesson on how to be a human being!

Yes, started May, 2020 and has gotten worse ever since.

Anyone else currently experiencing a higher and higher level of annoying things occurring where they work within the company? Getting d-mber and d-mber here.

It's actually a good sign, means she's making contacts outside of the company and with her track record, is a good sign she may actually leave on her own. Chicago is a lot better place to land than Columbus. I found the part on her bio about being a security leader laughable. What an absolute joke. If ORI brings in TCS, you'll know she is on the take. Good luck to ORI, they'll need it

You can serve as a board member while employed by AEP, as long as it's not a competitive institution.

I know its double-dipping at best, but at that level in your career, you're just selling them all out anyway. Unfortunately, until her 5-year contract is up, she and the Minnesota Mafia is here to stay, unless gets caught cooking the books to pay out to TCS.

From two days ago:

https://www.keloland.com/business/press-releases/cision/20240318NY63302/old-republic-announces-the-addition-of-therace-m-risch-to-the-board-of-directors/

How is she able to do all that and still be our CITO? I was going to say “still effectively be our CITO” but, that has to happen first in the first place. Maybe she’s finally on her way out and found her next victim.

This is starting to feel like the squid game show. I think the last guy is spot on. Being asked to focus on quality and costs, while TCS can't get their heads out of their a$$. Their own people don't want to have other TCS contractors work on issues and call AEP employees to fix them. I have zero respect for them and will not train or help them, why should I.

The entire IT leadership team is a corrupt ponzi scheme of nepotism. Not a single one of them got to AEP based on skills. Therace relies on Steve a JCP flunky who replaced the poster child for corporate ethics violations. Steve relies on the next group of cronies in line like Sandy another flunky.

This patten propagates all the way across the state of Minnesota. It's now just a pyramid of useless management. None of them came from any place that have a track record. It's just an elite club of retail rejects that are have mastered exctracting treasure from AEP while trying to convince the host (AEP) that parasites are OK, and are here to help.

IT is hemorrhaging cash at an alarming rate and there isn't anything in site that will stop it.

And they don't know how to stop. There is a new d-mb idea they spill out once a month that makes you sit back in absolute shock wondering how did it get this bad and how can it get worse? It seems to be a diversion tactic to keep eyes off of what is really going on.

And without fail it does get worse. It's a constant mix of a slow moving train wreck mixed into a roller coaster ride with a giant helping of shuffling deck chairs on the Titanic.

Anyone find it strange that with all of the layoffs and cut backs, none are ever in Minnesota and none of them are post TR hires.

Pre-TR employees are completely burnt out and with good reason. Everyone has been run through the gauntlet enough times that the fatigue of daily work life is real.

I'm not sure who has it worse. Those still in IT or those that got severed from IT.

Let's get to the bottom line.

Therace, those AEP minions you look down in the trenches that do the real work - are tired of you. They don't trust you, they don't trust any of the Minnesota Mafia you have in place and you don't have their support. It's time for you to pack your bags and become the corporate home wrecker someplace else. Because you have failed here.

Your success is now totally reliant on TCS. Wouldn't want to be in your shoes for that one, since TCS can't even tie their own shoes.

It's over. Take your money and leave. Leave on your own or have a termination on your resume that you will need to explain to the next place you intend on destroying.