Amazon may now layoff 20,000 employees, including senior managers: Report
Amazon intends to lay off employees at all levels, including those in the most senior positions. According to the source, business managers have been instructed to assess employees' work performance so that Amazon can begin the layoff process for approximately 20,000 people.
FollowFollowing the latest report, Amazon is planning to layoffs nearly 20,000 employees from the company, expected to affect twice as many people as previously reported. Following massive layoffs at Meta and Twitter, Amazon is planning to cut around 10,000 jobs in corporate and technology roles, suggested news reports.
However, it has now been revealed that the company plans to lay off 20,000 employees, including distribution centre workers, technical professionals, and corporate executives, in the coming months.
According to sources familiar with the matter, employees at all levels of the organisation (from level 1 to level 7) are anticipated to be affected by the layoffs. The New York Times initially reported in mid-November that Amazon will terminate employees following layoffs similar to Meta and Twitter.
According to the latest news, firm managers were recently instructed to identify work performance issues among employees. If Amazon fires 20,000 employees, it will represent approximately 6 per cent of its corporate staff and approximately 1.3 per cent of Amazon's 1.5 million-strong workforce, which includes global distribution centre and hourly workers.
Affected employees will be given 24-hour notice and severance pay following their company contracts. "There is a sense of anxiety among workers in the company since the news has come out," said one insider, adding that no specific department or location has been specified for the layoffs, which are being made across the board.
As per sources, Amazon's mass layoffs are due to over-hiring during the pandemic, and the need for cost-cutting as the company's financials have been declining.
Meanwhile, Andy Jassy, CEO of the e-commerce giant, acknowledged layoffs on November 17 without providing details on the number of people to be laid off. "As our yearly planning process continues into the new year, further role reductions are likely as leaders make adjustments. These decisions will be communicated to affected workers and organisations in early 2023," said Jassy.
He mentioned that Amazon had already announced layoffs in the Devices and Books divisions and a voluntary reduction offer for select employees in the People, Experience, and Technology (PXT) organisation.
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