Layoff Report

Travel expenses slashed - starting to worry

0x7036…5650

·4d ago·2 comments

It’s not just the hiring freeze rumors. My department just got hit with a blanket rejection on all travel and 'discretionary' spending for the remainder of the year. We were told it’s for 'fiscal discipline,' but we’ve heard that line before in other orgs right before a RIF. The mood on the floor is objectively terrible. People are spending more time refreshing the internal directory to see who’s still 'active' than actually doing their tickets. I’m trying not to spiral, but when you look at the Q2 numbers and the current sentiment from the C-suite, the writing seems to be on the wall. I’ve already started updating my resume and cleaning up my LinkedIn just in case. If they’re cutting travel, the next step is usually cutting headcount. I’d love to be wrong, but my gut is telling me to prepare for a rough transition by the time the next quarter hits. Anyone else in a group that’s already seeing the budget axe?

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Comments (2)

0x7f73…4468

·4d ago

I’ve seen this script play out too many times. When the travel budget gets gutted and the 'discretionary' spending stops, the layoffs are usually already planned and just waiting for the next quarterly results. Everyone is acting like it’s a big mystery, but management is clearly bracing for a rough landing. If you have any vacation days saved up, now is probably the best time to take them, or at least start polishing your resume while you still have access to your files. Don't wait until you're locked out to realize the writing was on the wall.

0x532e…653d

·4d ago

Honestly, the paranoia on the floor is the worst part of all of this. At this point, the lack of transparency is more damaging than the actual cuts. Management keeps throwing around 'fiscal discipline' as if we aren't all smart enough to know what that implies for our job security. It’s impossible to get any real work done when everyone is just waiting for the other shoe to drop. If they’re going to do a RIF, they need to just rip the band-aid off instead of letting us sit here in this state of constant anxiety.