"Can't Log In" "Didn't You Know? You're Fired"…The Cruel Layoffs by Big Tech

"Firing as if by random decision" Criticism Pours In
Fired Despite Good Performance, Proper Notice Not Given
"They Don't Treat Us Like People" Employee Morale Plummets

Billion-dollar salaries, flexible working hours, and cafeterias comparable to luxury hotels. At one time, American big tech companies were called the "God's workplace," envied by workers worldwide. However, when the time for layoffs approached, tech company owners were more ruthless than anyone else.

The American IT media outlet Wired closely examined the layoff processes of top big tech companies such as Microsoft and Google. The outlet strongly criticized, saying, "In recent months, tech companies have laid off tens of thousands of workers," and "It was a terrible decision marked by indifference."

Wired pointed out that the problem with the layoff process lies in the 'cruelty' of the dismissal methods. Companies reportedly removed office desks without even notifying workers of their termination.

Mass layoffs. The photo is not related to any specific expression in the article.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

For example, a veteran engineer who had worked at Google for several years suddenly realized one day that he could no longer log into his company account. Two hours later, he understood that he had been laid off. This engineer had received a new business card due to a department transfer a month earlier and had been recognized for high performance. However, instead of receiving a reward, he was terminated.

He criticized, "Everyone was confused," and added, "(Google) does not seem to lay off low performers or pursue specific goals. It feels like someone is making random decisions about layoffs."

In Microsoft's case, it recently laid off about 1,900 employees, approximately 8% of its 'Xbox' gaming division staff. The layoff decision shocked both inside and outside the company. Previously, Microsoft had spent $68.7 billion (about 91 trillion won) to acquire the global gaming company Activision Blizzard, but shortly after the acquisition, nearly 2,000 employees were cut.

Google employees are protesting in front of the Kings Cross headquarters in London, UK, holding the company motto "Don't be evil" to oppose union suppression and threats of mass layoffs.
[Photo by Reuters]

American media outlets such as Bloomberg reported that Microsoft's layoff process was also far from smooth. Most employees only realized their workspaces had disappeared after arriving at work, and even hours after the layoff announcement, there were frequent situations where it was unclear who had been laid off and who remained.

It is said that the layoff culture of American big tech companies in the past was completely different from now. The layoffs ongoing since the second half of last year are reportedly more similar to 20th-century employee management.

Regarding this, Professor Carrie Cooper of the Manchester Business School cited the spread of 'remote work' during the COVID-19 pandemic as a cause. Professor Cooper pointed out, "As face-to-face contact decreased and virtual communication increased, companies' attitudes toward employees worsened," adding, "Managers were unable to develop close relationships with employees."

The 'random layoffs' by tech companies are also lowering the morale of remaining employees. Mr. Hernandez, who has worked for a year at Meta, the social networking service (SNS) operator of Facebook and Instagram, told the media, "I decided to change my mindset about the company I work for." He realized that the company does not reward employees' 'loyalty' after experiencing the mass layoffs.

He said, "A business is just a business, and I was hired for a specific job," adding, "For a while, we were under the illusion that companies treated employees like human beings, but that was not the reality."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.