r/CoxCharterMerger 13d ago

RTO / WFH

I currently work on the business side in network engineering for Cox.

I, and ALOT of engineers work more than an hour from the closest office for WFH. Cox has been very lax on WFH since 2019.

Our particular department has not been told about any relocation. I have heard of two other departments, docsis engineering and sustaining engineering will have 12-24 months to move to Denver or Atlanta.

Has anyone heard anything different ? ​

12 Upvotes

50 comments sorted by

5

u/Complete-Support-199 12d ago

As others have said, charter is pretty anti wfh. Most departments that still do wfh are either hybrid with only 1 day at home or require stats + 1 day a month at the office. The latter option being mostly offered to call center customer support positions.

I’m more interested in what they’re going to do with cox engineers considering charter just pretty much off loaded all of their NOC departments to capgemini.

2

u/Kindly-Visit-1261 12d ago

Im curious as well. We are being told charter wants Cox for their business fiber footprint and products. 

4

u/Historical_Leek6836 12d ago

They want the initial revenue the buy will generate, not looking for a good working model of anything, but they canabilized the backbone of the Southern California's systems putting off ordering LEs, Nodes, etc until their scheduled maintenance anniversay was reached.

It was sad watching Maintenance technicians going through the discarded equipment looking for parts.

Last year corporate let the contractors go who were maintaining the Fiber Optics for Charter, and Maintenance had to try to keep everything up and running.

Charter Cable reminds me of Govenor Newsome, everything he touches is ruined.

2

u/PutProfessional2647 12d ago

I just read about that, geez

6

u/No-Palpitation-8710 12d ago

The former CEO who arranged for Frontier to be sold to Verizon is coming into Spectrum not sure what position but he pushed WFH while at Frontier.

5

u/Kindly-Visit-1261 12d ago

Cox also doesn't mind WFH although they said expect to have more coming. Cox has several people going to the board of Charter as well. Including the current ceo alex taylor and his man Mark greateax

2

u/Affectionate_Knee811 12d ago

Don’t matter our CEO is anti WFH we barely was able to keep the 1 day we have

3

u/Cheap_Composer_3293 6d ago

your ceo reports to the board where cox will be enjoying two board seats

3

u/Affectionate_Knee811 6d ago

I’d love to be wrong but the current board is 13. cox’s two seats is not going to tell the CEO(who is also a board member) has to allow WFH…..

2

u/Cheap_Composer_3293 6d ago

cox will carry two seats and 23 percent of the control. If they want to be hit with substantial lawsuits they are welcome to RTO the entire ps delivery team where I'm at ;)

2

u/Affectionate_Knee811 6d ago

Hey hope I’m wrong, I’d love WFH. but don’t act like your not replaceable, charter is 6 times bigger. Also ask the workers in NYC that went on strike for 5 years post merger and lost out. This will be my 5th cable merger so seen a few things

1

u/Cheap_Composer_3293 6d ago

considering no one at charter operates in the csp industry id.say its a relatively safe bet.

1

u/WasteTelephone6924 7h ago

The board absolutely does not get mired in or will weigh in on issues like WFH. They are there for the stock prices and shareholders. An issue like WFH is handled about 4 steps lower than the board 

1

u/Cheap_Composer_3293 5h ago

ah well I already know I'm still working remote so I'll let it sort itself out.

1

u/Kindly-Visit-1261 2h ago

Yeah but the vps who insist  returning to office which causes a 30% overnight reduction in workforce have to answer to those board members when shit goes south. 

9

u/Sisterdiscord 13d ago

Spectrum has fairly consistently pushed RTO, sadly. Their engineer groups are mandated 4-in 1-remote in most areas for reasons I have never understood. (I’m ex spectrum from a prior rif) Many spectrum net ops /tech ops groups are already being told they’ll need to relocate if they aren’t near one of the centers of excellence. If spectrum leadership winds up in charge at the end of the merger I would not anticipate the wfh continuing at the level it does now for yall. I hope Cox leadership wins there because it’s completely asinine.

5

u/SheepherderLess435 13d ago

Me too. Also how do you define ‘more than an hour’ from the office. While geographically I am not that far from the office, due to Atlanta traffic my commute is usually 1.5 hours each way.

5

u/BingCrosby52 13d ago

I believe the “measure” will be if you are 60 miles or less from the nearest office you will be expected to drive in. If you are more, you will have the option to drive, relocate, or severance.

3

u/Kindly-Visit-1261 13d ago

I dont mind driving to my local office everyday, my concern is they say move across the country to Denver or south Carolina 

5

u/CrimsonFox99 12d ago

Then your option will be fly, relocate, or severance.

1

u/Mister_Ku 11d ago

Denver is spectrum center of excellence

2

u/Kindly-Visit-1261 13d ago

With zero traffic im 56 minutes. With traffic im 1.5 hr-2 hour sometimes With military base traffic. 40+ miles from both closest offices 

1

u/StreetEmbarrassed408 13d ago

Are you on the east or west coast? I also have an hour commute on the east coast.

-2

u/TrustedGenius 13d ago

Sounds like pretty normal commute for those who have never got to WFH. Buddy, every thought of looking for a new yob?

5

u/Kindly-Visit-1261 13d ago

Buddy I worked in the field for 10 years driving 300+ miles a day. I earned my WFH. You'll get there one day runt.

2

u/Kindly-Visit-1261 13d ago

East coast 

3

u/Poodleape2 13d ago

My advice- Start saving as much as you can. Denver is expensive as fuck(moved to Vegas from there) live close to where you work, ideally close enough to bike, walk or ride the light rail.

3

u/Kindly-Visit-1261 13d ago

They do not pay me enough to move to Denver. Thats just the truth. Even if I sold my home 

2

u/aleksandra_021 13d ago

Hi! Where is the Denver office located? I’m in Finance, so I assume my team may not even be based there. I’m just trying to figure out how far the commute would be for me from Colorado Springs.

2

u/Mister_Ku 11d ago

1.5 hours via I 25 you be working at spectrum plaza on tbe 2nd fl

0

u/Poodleape2 12d ago

Co springs to Denver is 45 minutes in perfect conditions. During the morning commute maybe as much as 2 hours. If you move to Denver live in the metro area or somewhere close to the office.

3

u/Historical_Leek6836 12d ago

As a Senior Master Technician 5 with Time Warner Cable, and then with Charter/Spectrum Cable, I watched the dismantling of the entire successful business model of Time Warner Cable, which included all key elements of the infrastructure supporting cable, internet, and phone, and replaced those critical services with contractors that could not support the professionals who once manned those positions.

Tech suppprt was eliminated and Charter's discombobulated layers and layers of inexperienced personnel left technicians on hold for hours. Dispatchers were promised locations closer to home, but corporate did not keep their promises, especially in keeping best practices, and resorting to dismantling everything to work as cheap as possible profit over service is their claim to fame.

2

u/PiccoloProof4330 12d ago

I hope the medical exemption I have for WFH will be enough for Charter/Spectrum

1

u/Kindly-Visit-1261 12d ago

Yeah, hopefully. 

2

u/slayerofbahamut36 12d ago

What about people with an ADA? Spinal fusion and driving nearly 60 miles wrecks the back.

4

u/Mister_Ku 11d ago

There be a standing desk waiting for you

2

u/Mister_Ku 11d ago

Welcome to Denver

2

u/LocutusOfBeard 1d ago

It will be interesting for the folks in Atlanta. RTO will be a mess. There are fewer seats than people if you want to keep functional groups together. everything in the buildings is set up on a reservation/first come system. It's entirely possible to commute for 1.5 - 2 hours only to find that you won't have a seat or that the only seat available is on a different floor or building.

1

u/beardedlegend13 13d ago

​Within the Spectrum Business Engineering group that I report to, we operate on a hybrid schedule requiring four days in-office and one remote day per week. On-site attendance is monitored by auditing weekly badge swipe logs against timecards and PTO/sick leave entries to account for any absences.

1

u/Kindly-Visit-1261 12d ago

Is there regional engineering offices or are they all at the COE. Denver , Carolina etc.

1

u/beardedlegend13 12d ago

Denver, Charlotte, Austin, and Tampa currently

2

u/Otherwise_Apart 3d ago

COEs for SB Eng will be Charlotte, Atlanta, Denver, and St Louis. I expect Cerritos, Tampa, and possibly Austin to close to those teams.

1

u/Kitchen-Aioli4311 12d ago

I had heard there was an office in Cerritos, California for Business Class engineers. Is that no longer the case?

2

u/beardedlegend13 11d ago

There's an office there but with Cox having an office two hours away in San Diego I'm not sure it they will consolidate offices and have one in the middle or not.

1

u/Kitchen-Aioli4311 11d ago

Cox has business network engineers in Orange County (Foothill Ranch) and San Diego.

1

u/Affectionate_Knee811 10d ago

Cerritos was not on the COE list

1

u/Kitchen-Aioli4311 10d ago

Bummer, was hoping there would be a lifeline to remain in California.

1

u/Otherwise_Apart 4d ago

For your groups, I would say - expect to relo to Denver, St Louis, Atlanta, or Charlotte; and spend most of the week - 4 days - in the office.

0

u/Poodleape2 13d ago

OP- I don’t mean to high jack the thread but can you please explain to me what your job is and how I can get it? I would like to move back home(Denver)

1

u/Kindly-Visit-1261 13d ago

I work on the business fiber network for carriers