KINGSBURG – In a company-wide email dated Aug. 24, T-Mobile CEO Michael Sievert said the company will begin phasing out 5,000 positions or roughly 7% of its workforce nationwide over the next five weeks, but did not mention specific locations or T-Mobile facilities by name.
When asked by the Times if employees at the Kingsburg call center will be impacted by this circumstance, T-Mobile’s media relations division said in an email that the company is not sharing layoff numbers by location.
In his email, Sievert said corporate and back-office personnel will be impacted, as well as some technology roles. He said retail and customer care experts will not be affected by the workforce reduction.
The company is cutting “duplicative” roles. Other cuts involve jobs that may not fit with the company’s current priorities. Sievert said some “areas of the business will be implementing more centralized models where they can improve efficiency and effectiveness and save costs.”
“We can be smarter, faster and even better at competing, by streamlining our operating model and structure to reduce the complexity,” Sievert said.
According to Sievert, these changes are centered on focusing the company on a limited set of winning strategies in order to out-pace its competitors. He also said this is about ensuring the company has the financial capability to deliver a differentiated network and customer experience to a customer base that continues to grow; all while simultaneously meeting its obligations to its shareholders.
Laid-off employees will receive severance payments based on tenure, plus an additional 60 days minimum of transition leave, including pay and benefits. Employees will receive accelerated vesting of their next stock vest and career transition services.
“We have zero intention of being a faceless – or heartless – company in a situation that is already difficult,” said Sievert.
He added that the company plans to have all notifications (of layoffs) completed by the end of September.
