Amazon Shocks 14,000 Employees With Early Morning Layoffs

In a move that stunned thousands of workers worldwide, Amazon abruptly laid off 14,000 employees last week — informing many of them through early morning text messages and emails.
The layoffs, part of a sweeping corporate restructuring plan, affected staff across multiple divisions of the global e-commerce and technology giant. Employees woke up to a message from the company asking them to “check their emails before coming to the office,” followed shortly by another message providing a helpline number for further assistance.
In the accompanying email, Beth Galetti, Amazon’s Senior Vice President of People, Experience, and Technology, delivered the unexpected announcement:
“I have some important but difficult news to share. After a thorough review of our priorities and focus for the future, we’ve made the hard business decision to lay off some employees across Amazon. Unfortunately, your job is gone.”
The company said affected employees would receive three months’ salary and additional benefits as part of their severance package.
The method of delivering the news — through automated messages — has triggered widespread debate over corporate ethics and employee dignity. Critics argue that such an impersonal approach reflects a growing trend among major technology firms, including Google and Tesla, which have also resorted to digital notifications for overnight layoffs.
In a follow-up post addressing the issue, Galetti emphasized the rapid evolution of artificial intelligence (AI) and its growing influence on corporate decision-making:
“The world is changing faster than ever. This generation of AI is the most transformative technology since the Internet. It’s enabling companies to innovate and operate at unprecedented speed.”
Industry experts note that Amazon’s move underscores a larger shift in the global job market, as companies increasingly rely on automation and AI-driven strategies, leading to workforce reductions even in the world’s biggest corporations.