The way recent layoffs were handled was incredibly distressing and poorly managed. The company sent a mass email stating that 3% of employees would be laid off, then left people waiting for over an hour—anxiously watching calendars and inboxes—to see if they were “the one.” It was an unnecessarily stressful experience with no transparency or empathy.
Those impacted were then corralled into a cold, scripted Zoom meeting with an HR representative. Access to systems was cut immediately, and employees were told to wait and refer to their personal email later in the week for more details. Days passed with no severance information, no clarity on benefits, and no follow-up communication—yet the company somehow prioritized sending a FedEx QR code to return equipment.
People were left completely in the blind at a vulnerable moment. The lack of humanity, communication, and basic decency during this process was shocking. Regardless of business needs, there are far more respectful ways to treat employees who have contributed their time and energy to the company.
Extremely poor communication
No transparency during layoffs
Cold, impersonal HR processes
Employees treated like liabilities, not people