The harsh truth behind Amazon layoffs: how smooth is the restructuring process?

Layoffs have been taking place in all sectors, but when it comes to brutal ones, no one can put behind the layoffs on Twitter. It seems like Amazon has joined the bandwagon causing the most heartbreaking layoffs.

Previously this month, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy announced that the company would go through a massive restructuring process that cut off 18000 jobs globally. The job cuts would account for 1 percent of the total workforce. Thousands of Indian employees have been severely affected by the layoffs.

The impacted individuals received the news of the layoffs in early January 2023 when they received an email from the senior managers. The emails read that the employees will have to attend a one-on-one meeting scheduled for the next day. The emails were revealed by amazon employees who wished to keep their anonymity.

The impacted employees have even shared that the emails in no way shared any whereabouts or objectives of the meeting. Instead, the mail mentioned that the employees must attend the one-on-one meeting at the reporting office. It has been made evident that many SD-1 and Sd-2 level employees have been impacted by the layoffs.

Now, since many of them working from the comfort of their homes, some had to board flights the next day. Amazon has mentioned to the employees that the company would reimburse them for the flight tickets and hotel stay for the next day.

On the next day, the impacted employees were o a one-on-one meeting with the senior manager and HR in the room where they got to know about their layoff. During the discussion, the HR and the manager talked about the details regarding severance pay and other benefits that would be provided by the company.

The impacted individuals received a deadline to complete their work within four hours to get their official work done. After that, their access to the company, and badges will be blocked.

Many people have compared the layoffs of Amazon with Twitter, where the former turned out to be a smooth process. The employees were not laid out suddenly by blocking their access. They have even received their severance pay for five months which is constantly being overlooked by Elon Musk

But are the layoffs in Amazon smooth?

The continuous process of restructuring has left the individuals demotivated. A user took to the social media platform to describe the happenings in the office. The whole cabin is in ruckus with employees fearing for their layoff or their acquaintances. Seventy-five percent of the employees are being laid off, and the numbers are significantly high.

One of the heartbreaking layoffs that have caught the attention of the internet is about an IT professional whose dream of settling in Europe was shattered after Amazon sacked him four days before he relocated to the country. The person has shared details stating that he was prepared to leave, but the plan did not work out. It was because of the business changes as part of the institution’s annual operating review, that disrupted the role and many other job opportunities.

After amazon announced the mass layoffs, the Labour Commission sent a letter to the company talking about the mass layoffs and voluntary separation policy.

The letter demanded a joint discussion on January 17 regarding the forced layoffs by the company in India. The letter stated that the livelihoods of thousands of employees working under the company has been devastated and the families had been made vulnerable.

According to the procedures set by the Industrial Dispute Act, the employer can not lay off employees featuring muster roles in the company without prior permission from the appropriate government. The statement has been revealed by Harpreet Singh Saluja, the president of the employees’ union Nascent Information Technology Employees Senate (NITES) reported a statement.

In November previous year, amazon presented a voluntary separation policy to its employees.
The tech company has even revoked full-time job offers, leaving no job opportunities open.
At the same time, other prominent IT companies, including Google and Meta, have stated that they would revoke the job offers, but they have mentioned that the hiring process will continue for specific roles amidst the recession.

edited and proofread by nikita sharma