Amazon worker accidentally captures getting laid off on TikTok

Jennifer Lucas, who worked as a recruiting manager at Amazon for eight years in the US, wrote at the beginning of the video: “I was trying to film a cute Wes Anderson style WFH and accidentally filmed myself getting laid off.”

The TikTok video starts with her getting out of bed in the morning, making herself a cup of coffee, and brushing her teeth before logging into work from home.

In the following scene, she opens her work email and comes to the realisation that she has been laid off. As she reads the message informing her that Amazon has terminated her employment, she gasps in disbelief.

Lucas also shared her layoff news on LinkedIn, saying: “Yesterday I was one of the 9,000 employees impacted in Amazon’s layoffs. I joined Amazon in 2015 as a bright-eyed college graduate who couldn’t believe I was working for the best tech company in the world. I began my career as a recruiting coordinator with 2 goals in mind — Get promoted to L6, Become a manager.

“Last year, I accomplished both. I often joked with friends and family, “now what??” and it seems the universe took my words literally.”

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Amazon announced its second round of layoffs in March, in which 9,000 jobs were to be cut.In a memo to employees on March 20, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy said it was a “difficult decision” taken for the long-term benefit of the company. These layoffs come over and above the 18,000 roles that were eliminated just a few months ago.

In March, Amazon announced to lay off another 9,000 employees in Amazon Web Services (AWS), Twitch, advertising, and HR.

In a memo, Jassy said that as the company concluded the second phase of its operating plan (“OP2”) this past week. “I’m writing to share that we intend to eliminate about 9,000 more positions in the next few weeks – mostly in AWS, PXT, Advertising, and Twitch.”

Amazon initially eliminated 18,000 positions in January and as “we completed the second phase of our planning this month, it led us to these additional 9,000 role reductions”.