AM I NEXT? MASS LAYOFFS AT AMTRAK

Washington, D.C.-based Amtrak, the passenger rail service formally known as the National Railroad Passenger Corporation, has announced the closure of its Western Reservations Sales Center in Riverside, California and eliminating 550 employees at its call center.

The cost-cutting measure was announced by Amtrak’s Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer Tim Griffin who noted, “By consolidating our operations, we will be able to use our resources more efficiently, lower overall operation and utility costs and require less managerial staff.” The Riverside, California operations will be consolidated with the existing reservation center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and the Riverside property will be sold.

It appears that technology is driving the decision as Griffin claimed, “at our busiest time, only 25 percent of our agents are on the phone at the same time.” And, that approximately 90% of reservations are booked online.

As for the financial impact, Griffin added, “We are committed to consolidating our real estate holdings, where it makes sense to do so. From an operational efficiency and cash perspective, it is better to have many people at one location than smaller groups of people at multiple locations. When we divest facilities we own, like we will do with Riverside, we generate significant cash.”

The company said that all employees, with the exception of mangers, would be welcome to apply for positions in Philadelphia, which seems ludicrous that a Californian would move 2,700 miles for a call center job asked to train heir replacements.

It can happen to anyone, anytime, anywhere ... are you wondering, Am I Next?

AM I NEXT? NO LOVE AT DIGITAL FIRST MEDIA (UPDATED)

FEBRUARY 4, 2019 — GANNETT REJECTS MNG (DIGITAL FIRST MEDIA) $1.36 BUYOUT

According to an Associated Press report …

“The publisher of USA Today and dozens of other newspapers said no to a hedge-fund backed media group with a reputation for slashing jobs, but the buyout fight may not be over. “

“Gannett said its board has unanimously rejected an unsolicited $1.36 billion buyout from MNG Enterprises , better known as Digital First Media. Digital First then said that it might nominate new Gannett board directors to consider its offer.

JANUARY 24, 2019 — GANNETT LAYOFFS ACCELERATE

It appears that the news of a hostile takeover of Gannett has accelerated Gannett’s headcount reduction. The exact numbers are unclear at this point in time, but expectations point to over 100 employees. Due to a disappointing last quarter, the layoffs would have occurred whether or not the company was facing a potential hostile takeover.

JANUARY 19, 2019 — DIGITAL FIRST MEDIA OFFERS $1.36 BILLION TO TAKE OVER THE USA TODAY NEWSPAPER OPERATION

“According to USA Today, Gannett Co., which owns USA TODAY and 109 other local media properties, has officially received an unsolicited proposal to acquire the company from media company MNG Enterprises, also known as Digital First Media.”

Digital First Media is proposing to buy Gannett for $12 a share, which would be a 23 percent premium above Friday's closing price of $9.75 a share. Digital First is majority owned by hedge fund Alden Global Capital.”

"Consistent with its fiduciary duties and in consultation with its financial and legal advisors, the Gannett board of directors will carefully review the proposal received to determine the course of action that it believes is in the best interest of the company and Gannett shareholders," the company said in a statement.”

The handwriting is on the wall for USA Today employees should Digital First Media acquire the newspaper.

Original post…

Denver, Colorado-based Digital First Media, a subsidiary of New York-based hedge fund Alden Global Capital, and owner of the Denver Post and nearly 100 other newspapers nationwide, has announced that it is laying off 107 employees at its Colorado Springs, Colorado call center and is outsourcing the work to BPO (Business Process Outsourcing) services provider New York-based GenPact. Retreating to core competencies in times of financial difficulty or reorganization efforts makes perfect sense, especially when an outsourcer can provide lower costs due to their own economies of scale and specialized functions.

Alden has a reputation for its ruthless cost cutting and willingness to sacrifice both journalists and back office support staff to reduce debt and meet financial objectives. While some, mostly impacted employees cite unwarranted behavior, others compare Alden to a surgeon cutting out malignant tissue to save the body. Either way, it is the employees that suffer in the long run.

There are no guarantees in life, or promises for a bright future. Just because something bad hasn't happened yet, doesn't mean it won't. It can happen to anyone, anytime, anywhere ... are you now wondering, Am I Next?

AM I NEXT? NO LOVE AT VERIZON (09/15/24)

SEPTEMBER 15, 2024 — 4,800 EMPLOYEES TARGETED

The company announced a voluntary separation program for some US-based management positions in June 2024, with over half of the employees exiting in September 2024 and the rest by the end of March 2025.

According to an SEC filing, “In June 2024, Verizon announced a voluntary separation program for select U.S.-based management employees. Approximately 4,800 eligible employees will separate from Verizon under this program by the end of March 2025, with over half of these employees exiting in September of 2024.

MAY 28, 2023 — THOUSANDS OF CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVES ARE AT RISK

In a mass phone call to customer service employees, the company has notified them of upcoming “restructuring” and “streamlining” measures that are all but certain to result in significant layoffs.

Those involved in the call were told they’d be able to accept a severance offer (two weeks per year of tenure) or, in select cases, apply for roles to “transition to the next stage of your career journey.”

Those roles targeted include customer experience, loyalty, and technology positions.

It is believed that the company plans to offshore its customer service operations and employ sophisticated AI-driven chatbots.

NOVEMBER 4, 2021 — CONTINUING BAD NEWS

Verizon has confirmed that it executed another round of layoffs and employee buyouts that impacted the Verizon Business Group, which includes the company’s channel team, and the Verizon Global Technology Solutions Group.

A company spokesperson noted, “The industry-wide shift in consumer trends and expectations is driving the need for us to do things differently. This is an ongoing process as we continue looking at ways to enhance our customer’s experience while helping to make the business more efficient. We must adjust staffing levels in some parts of our business. These decisions are never made lightly and we will work with employees who are impacted by these changes throughout their transition.”

The company refuses to disclose the number of layoffs.

OCTOBER 5, 2018 — Original post…

New York, New York-based Verizon Communications has just offered 25% of its workforce, approximately 44,000 employees the opportunity to take a voluntary severance package in order to save $10 billion in costs by 2021. Verizon's severance package mostly targets senior employees, some with 20 years or more with the company, making it difficult for those in their 50s and 60s to obtain new employment.

This is in addition to transferring 2,500 IT workers to Infosys of the India’s largest outsourcing contractors.

The long-term Verizon employees to be outsourced appear to be royally screwed as they are not eligible for severance payments and won’t receive their 2018 bonus if they are offered a job at Infosys and don’t accept it. According to published reports, “the severance offer excludes employees who are being 'rebadged' to Infosys and offered a 1-year retainer at the Indian company, most likely to train their replacements.” Negotiating at the point of a proverbial gun. The Infosys outsourcing contract is said to be worth $700 million.

According to new CEO Hans Vestberg, the reduction-in-force will give Verizon “an opportunity to find more efficiencies in the size and scope of our V Team and help expedite the building of an innovative operating model for our future.”

Making major employee decisions before a major holiday season appears to be short-sighted. Look for further layoffs and an exodus of top talent. And increasing stress on the remaining employees who will be forced to do more with less.

Are you wondering Am I Next?