"Does the coffee machine in the lobby have a higher retention rate than the Skunk Works engineers?"

tb · 2026-06-27T17:43:03.288Z

Management keeps talking about "synergy" and "streamlining," but the only thing being streamlined is our collective sanity. Since the last round of RIFs, the office feels like a funeral parlor with better hardware. We’re being asked to pull double duty on F-35 sustainment tasks while sitting in cubicles vacated by people who actually knew how to navigate the SAP madness. It’s hilarious watching the mid-level managers scramble to hold the line, pretending that the "One Lockheed" initiative isn't just a fancy way of saying "do the work of three people for the same salary." The institutional knowledge didn't just walk out the door; it was escorted out by security with a severance package that didn't cover the cost of the bridges we're currently burning. I’m just here for the badge swipe and the existential dread. If you need me, I’ll be in a SCIF somewhere, waiting for the next "all-hands" email that confirms we’re all completely expendable. Enjoy the mission, I guess.

"Does the coffee machine in the lobby have a higher retention rate than the Skunk Works engineers?" | Lockheed Martin Discussions