Here you'll find answers to frequently asked questions regarding surplus and related processes. No personal details are shared to ensure confidentiality.
1) Which term plan are we table b or c under article 8?
a) This will be covered by Talent Acquisition/HR Staffing.
2) Is it just ATT job skills that are considered for other jobs or is it all job skills you have in general?
a) Typically, all skills that an employee has are considered. But not all skills are required. Each job requires certain job skill or threshold tests.
3) Other then TKT classes what other classes does Partnership offer and are the classes in person or virtual?
a) Attached is the customization list for those courses that are available to those that qualify for PARTNERSHIP. All of them are virtual.
b) Course Title Hours
c) Network Plus 40
d) TKTII 40
e) Fiber Optic Technician 30
f) Fiber Optic Installer 30
g) Wireless Networking Technician w/ 5G Intro 30
h) 5G Technician 28
i) FCC GROL 24
j) Microsoft Word 24
k) Microsoft Excel 24
l) Microsoft Power Point 24
m) Microsoft Outlook 24
4) Will Partnership pay for someone to move into another career path?
a) I need more specifics on this one. Education assistance is available as well as additional courses under the PARTNERSHIP program.
5) Are there for Funds available for laid off employees to get the things necessary be it for their further learning such as computers etc , and if they choose to pursue a new career path ? for example someone goes to Cosmetology school funds for the necessary tools for the job?
a) Only course work is available for those who are in surplus condition. Cosmetology school is not approved.
6) How long does partnership last after closure
a) Employees are eligible to use the PARTNERSHIP program while they are in the job bank. Once they exit the job bank they are only eligible for the 2500$ job bank tuition assistance if they stayed in the job bank their entire term. Once they enter the job bank the regular 5250$ tuition assistance amount does not apply to them any longer.
7) Teams meeting for ppl out of office during meetings on partnership
a) They will be required to be at one of the meetings.
8) If on benefits such as on Sedgwick are you still considered surplus as of March 22nd?
a) This is a Talent Acquisition/HR Staffing question. Not related to article 24.
9) Article 8 B-1-a An employee whose seniority is 5 years or more will be eligible for coverage at Company expense for a period of 6 months following the month in which employment is terminated. The employee may elect to continue such coverage for an additional 6 months at the employee's expense by paying the monthly premium amount. Is this only if you take you severance as a weekly amount or are you still eligible if you take it as a lump sum can you still get this benefit?
a) This one is for your local benefits coordinator or the Talent Acquisition/HR Staffing employee.
10) Is there anything we can do to help get their HO day's scheduled? There is nowhere to put them and the company won't do overrides. Also the company "can't" figure out how to move their HO day from after thanksgiving.
a) Escalate this issue to the director for assistance.
11) Does article 24 provide resume help and if so can they do it on company time?
a) Resume assistance is included in article 24. The initial steps are done on their own time but the call with the career counselor can be on company time. I attached the career counseling interest form.
12) Does partnership provide something like a job fair with companies locally that might be hiring?
a) Part of career counseling is the ability to be signed up for job search.
13) Does tuition assistance continue after March 22nd and if so how long? Is it as long as their in the job bank?
a) The traditional tuition assistance money, $5250, ends once they go into the job bank. They only have a non-renewing $2500 that they can use up to 2 years after they complete their entire job bank allotment. If they leave the job bank early or do not select job bank, then they will not be eligible to receive the $2500.
14) If they follow a job in their package do they get relocation money?
a) That is a question for HR Staffing.
15) The company posted OPT wage scale 31 jobs in Jacksonville. Do those jobs have to be held due to the layoff, if so can we provide a class or training material for the basic electricity test to get those interested qualified?
a) It is always a good idea to try and get test qualified. HR Staffing will answer the questions about higher wage scale options. We can provide study material or classes for the TKTII threshold test. We do have a book for the TMTIII but there isn’t a class for it.
16) If we get an offer letter are we required to take it or if we turn it down will it affect our termination pay? Does that come with relocation assistance?
a) You are not required to take a job while in the job bank. Your termination pay is your termination pay and will not change. I cannot comment on relocation assistance.
17) If/when we are in the job bank and we have moved from our previous location ( if I move back to Iowa or Minnesota) will the job offers be based on my current location or previous location in Florida? And is relocation assistance a part of that offer? Also if we turn down a job offer while in the job bank how does that effect our status in the job bank?
a) I can only comment on the last part. You can turn down a job and still serve your job bank time.
18) If someone is on vacation the week of the meetings will there be a make-up meeting and when does their 7 days start to decide?
a) They are all required to be covered. As soon as they are covered the time will start. The company will not put off the calls indefinitely. The last day on payroll is the last day on payroll. They will be required to attend or be on one of the calls.
19) The process on getting questions answer on individual benefit
a) questions must go to the hall who contacts the benefit rep then gets the answer to the benefits question
20) Which term plan are we table b or c under article 8?
a) This will be covered by Talent Acquisition/HR Staffing.
21) Is it just ATT job skills that are considered for other jobs or is it all job skills you have in general?
a) Typically, all skills that an employee has are considered. But not all skills are required. Each job requires certain job skill or threshold tests.
22) Other then TKT classes what other classes does Partnership offer and are the classes in person or virtual?
a) Attached is the customization list for those courses that are available to those that qualify for PARTNERSHIP. All of them are virtual.
23) Will Partnership pay for someone to move into another career path?
a) I need more specifics on this one. Education assistance is available as well as additional courses under the PARTNERSHIP program.
24) Are there for Funds available for laid off employees to get the things necessary be it for their further learning such as computers etc , and if they choose to pursue a new career path ? for example someone goes to Cosmetology school funds for the necessary tools for the job?
a) Only course work is available for those who are in surplus condition. Cosmetology school is not approved.
25) How long does partnership last after closure?
a) Employees are eligible to use the PARTNERSHIP program while they are in the job bank. Once they exit the job bank they are only eligible for the 2500$ job bank tuition assistance if they stayed in the job bank their entire term. Once they enter the job bank the regular 5250$ tuition assistance amount does not apply to them any longer.
26) Teams meeting for ppl out of office during meetings on partnership
a) They will be required to be at one of the meetings.
27) If on benefits such as on Sedgwick are you still considered surplus as of March 22nd?
a) This is a Talent Acquisition/HR Staffing question. Not related to article 24.
28) Article 8 B-1-a An employee whose seniority is 5 years or more will be eligible for coverage at Company expense for a period of 6 months following the month in which employment is terminated. The employee may elect to continue such coverage for an additional 6 months at the employee's expense by paying the monthly premium amount. Is this only if you take you severance as a weekly amount or are you still eligible if you take it as a lump sum can you still get this benefit?
a) This one is for your local benefits coordinator or the Talent Acquisition/HR Staffing employee.
29) Which term plan are we table b or c under article 8?
30) Question about vacation time. It was are they going to pro rate their vacation time since they are leaving in the first quarter? Can they get paid for their unused vacation time? Or is it a use it or lose it situation? Not sure if this is something we can answer or it will be answered by HR Staffing. Thanks for helping me with all these questions
a) Page 212 and 213 in the book.
b) D. PARTNERSHIP Job Bank.
c) 1. Definition: Job Bank participants are retained on the company payroll while receiving their termination allowance and accruing seniority. Seniority for the determination of Job Bank eligibility and subsequent termination pay will be as of the date the employee enters the Job Bank. For surplus employees, vacation time will be taken, or the employee will be paid in lieu of his/her unused vacation, as if he/she had worked the entire calendar year, prior to entry into the Job Bank. For other employees entering the Job Bank vacation time will be taken, or the employee will be paid in lieu of his/her vacation, based on the appropriate accrual schedule in 5.09C, prior to entry into the Job Bank. Vacation time will not accrue as a result of employee’s election to participate in the Job Bank.
31) How do I just get my money?
a) If you choose to take termination pay, you will select termination pay as your choice and receive your lump sum payment 30-45 days from your last day on payroll.
32) I don’t want to go into a job bank, I just want to get my pay. Someone was saying you have to go into the job pool. Someone was saying we had to go into the job pool. I've also heard things about the job pool, like once they find you a job that the rest of your severance goes away or is taken by the union. If you turn down a job they offer you, do you lose your severance and are kicked out of the job pool? Can I turn down a job and stay in the pool?
a) You will have the option to choose to take termination pay in 1 lump sum or use your termination pay to fund job bank time. You are not required to go into the job bank. If you find a job and leave the job bank to accept a job, your future termination pay balance will be minus any pay used for job bank time. The balance of your termination pay upon your exit is not taken by the union nor does it go away if you accept a job out of the job bank. You do not lose any severance by turning a job down and you are not kicked out of the job bank by turning down a job either. You can stay in the job bank as long as you have eligibility. You are not required to take a job.
33) When is the deadline for sip?
a) Please review the SIPP information on page 114, article 8.03 of the working agreement.
b) Employees may lock/unlock electronically from the 1st day of the month to the last day of the month, before midnight, Eastern time, preceding the surplus quarter. After this time period, the SIPP acceptance may not be revoked.
34) Will the surplus code allow us our max weeks for termination pay (Tech/Org)
a) Each employee will have a calculation based on their seniority and if they have already used termination pay in the past. The PARTNERSHIP team doesn’t have that information. That information is provided by payroll/severance. They can read more about the termination allowance in article 8.04 on page 119 of the working agreement. It will be covered by the staffing manager.
35) Take the package and then retire at the end of it?
a) They can go into the job bank and then retire when they exit the job bank at the end of their eligibility or earlier if so desired. They will be treated as active employees while in the job bank.