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Comment by that_guy_iain | Hacker News Reader

Super good time to announce layoffs, at the start of the month where everyone is preparing for time off and holidays.

It’s unfortunately common when financial end of year is around the same time.

Announced now, people can at least try to scale back Christmas and NYE plans if necessary.

How many people will be getting told they're part of it? I would suspect this will be hanging over their heads as an unknown element. Is it even possible for HR to manage off-boarding 17% of the company within a month?

From the article:

> Earlier today, CEO Daniel Ek shared the following note about the company’s organizational changes with all Spotify employees.

> ...

> you will receive a calendar invite within the next two hours from HR for a one-on-one conversation. These meetings will take place before the end of the day on Tuesday

I saw that but I honestly don't think it's possible for HR to handle about 1,500 off-boarding meetings within 2 days.

Those meetings are just formality. your fate is already sealed.

Exactly a formality, something that has to be done. How are they going to handle that in 48 hours? To me, it's a sign that some people get to know straight away and some will find out later.

Something I'm sure their CEO will do out of kindness and solidarity. /s

How depressing.

Severance package is 5 months and Q1 will have no shortage of new job postings elsewhere. Yes this is probably not great for mental health but financially they should be fine.

Having looked at the job market, there are less job postings currently than in previous years.

While overall there will still be more jobs than qualified people to fill them. Let's not pretend like the employee market is full of people who've just been laid off from very reputable companies.

Yep. Maximizing fuck-over of employees.

Tech workers need to stop working for corporations they don't own, aren't seeing the profits of, and who will just throw them away at any moment. The solution are businesses in the form of employee-owned co-ops and organized labor.

Tech workers are one of the few W2 employees to see any profits from ownership, hence the compensation in RSUs and stock options. Also, anyone with investments in the public equity markets (like most tech workers earning high salaries) receives gains from the profits.

Or Spotify could have not taken the risk a couple years ago and never hired them. Which is what would have happened in your scenario. (No dynamism)

Businesses take risks. Part of that includes hiring people for things that may not work out. It's really not that hard.

And "fuck-over"? Please. 5 months of salary with no work? Actual working class people would go nuts for that. Get a reality check bud.

I’m in full support. But, you do realize the forum you’re writing this in, right?

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