T-Mobile Cuts 1,900 Jobs

T-Mobile is closing seven call centers, and increasing hiring at the remaining ones.  They are cutting 1,900 jobs but plan to add approximately 1,400 at the remaining centers.

I'm not surprised.  When the AT&T merger broke in the news, I watched carefully.  When it failed, people rejoiced but it only made sense to me that T-Mobile was going to make some mighty big changes.  I worked for T-Mobile even though I saw the end coming, but finally got out about a month ahead of the cuts.  Our particular location wasn't affected (this time) but I had no way of knowing, and neither did several others who saw the writing on the wall.

For the locations adding jobs, it's good news.  T-Mobile is an excellent place to work, and their benefits are outrageously awesome (though I expect that will be the next thing to go).  They have a structure that really works for the employees, and offsets the sometimes brutally high expectations. To give credit where it's due, they do seem to care about employees.  For example they are offering relocation assistance to those who would follow their job.  They are also offering career counseling to help those who stay find a job that will be a good match for them.

AT&T is crowing today, saying they told the FCC that not allowing the deal to go through would "force" T-Mobile to lay off employees.  Well, not quite.  T-Mobile has had issues in the past, and their investment into their network will inflate their selling price, and laying off employees will increase their profit margin.  More writing on the walls: T-Mobile looks like they are laying the early groundwork to get the hell out of Dodge.  In fact, if the details of the merger are ever released I bet you find TMO reached out to AT&T.

Also, think about this.  AT&T puts up earnest money, TMO keep it but invests it back into a network that AT&T will likely be making a future bid for.  TMO walks with a bit of padding, AT&T claimed its loss and still gets the benefit of how it was spent, and everyone still gets what they want. I'm just saying, it could happen.  It they ever make a second attempt to buy them again, you can bet people will be trying to connect the dots to prove this was just an elaborate plan B.