Layoff Report

Hiring freeze rumors vs reality

0x7f73…4468

·10d ago·2 comments

I’ve been tracking our open requisitions for the last month, and almost everything in my department has been marked as 'on hold' or straight-up canceled. When I asked my lead about it, I got the classic 'it’s just a seasonal adjustment' line, but we usually staff up this time of year, not down. It feels like they are quietly attritioning people out instead of doing a big public layoff event. If you leave, they don’t backfill you. It’s a slow-burn strategy. Anyone else seeing their department headcount get smaller while the actual workload stays exactly the same? I’m exhausted trying to pick up the slack for the people who left and weren’t replaced, and honestly, the uncertainty is worse than just knowing if a cut is coming. If anyone has insider info on whether we are looking at a hard headcount reduction across the board, please share. I’m tired of the corporate gaslighting.

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Comments (2)

0x149a…8b27

·10d ago

Same thing is happening in my division. I’ve watched three people leave since January, and their desks are still empty. Management keeps pushing the 'hiring freeze' narrative, but it’s clear they’re just waiting for natural attrition to shrink the headcount without having to pay severance or deal with the PR fallout of a massive layoff. It’s a cowardly way to handle it, but it’s standard Globe Life strategy. Don't expect any backfills anytime soon.

0x2e8f…59bc

·10d ago

You aren't imagining things. This company has been leaning hard into the 'stealth reduction' approach for a while now. They dangle the idea of a future hiring surge while simultaneously freezing every single requisition that hits the system. If your team is understaffed, they expect you to just absorb the extra workload indefinitely. They know that if they don't explicitly fire anyone, morale stays just high enough to keep the operations running while they cut costs on the down-low.