Key Takeaways
- Amazon laid off 14,000 corporate employees, offering 90 days of pay and benefits.
- Employees reported receiving 3 AM text messages directing them to check emails for layoff notices.
- Many found the timing and method insensitive, with some unable to access work systems immediately.
Amazon employees have taken to social media to share distressing experiences of receiving layoff notifications via 3 AM text messages. The texts directed them to check personal or work emails before coming to the office, creating panic and system access issues for many.
3 AM Text Messages Spark Panic
A Reddit user shared a screenshot of a text purportedly from Amazon that read: “From Amazon: Before coming to the office, check personal/work email… including spam, for a message on your role.” The message timestamp showed 3 AM.
In a follow-up post, the employee described the experience: “I got this at 3 am and then couldn’t even get into Outlook even with the link in the text. I was spiraling bricked out of my laptop, slack, email, everything. Eventually I got the email on my personal account and saw further directions to access my work email for documents related to the lay off. This was sloppy.”
Similar Experiences on LinkedIn
Another affected employee shared on LinkedIn: “At around 3 AM this morning, I received the news like many others did as well that after 3 incredible years, my journey with Amazon is coming to an end.”
The employee added: “Working at Amazon has been more than a job it’s been a masterclass in growth, leadership, and resilience. I’ve had the privilege of managing accounts, building partnerships, and helping customers succeed in fast-moving, high-impact environments.”
Social Media Reactions
The 3 AM notification method drew strong reactions online:
- “That is brutal”
- “It’s crazy how they said ‘check your email before going to the office’, it’s pretty insensitive, I think”
- “Heartless”
- “That’s a s**tty way to inform people”
Amazon has promised 90 days of full pay and benefits to laid-off employees. HT.com has reached out to Amazon for comment and will update this report when the company responds.
Disclaimer: This report is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.
