Oracle has shocked its workforce by firing hundreds of employees through sudden video calls. Workers in India and the US are describing how they lost their jobs in minutes, often thinking that they were joining regular meetings.
The layoffs have created fear across the Oracle offices. Many employees now worry that any unexpected meeting invite could be their last day at work.
Database Team Employee’s Story
One worker from the Oracle database team told The Economic Times exactly what happened to him.
“It was over in less than 20 minutes. A Zoom invite, my manager was on the call, and HR was late. They said it wasn’t about my performance, but purely business. My system was cut immediately. I was also due to get stocks in February, but now I have lost them.”
The hardest part for him wasn’t losing the job. It was telling his parents, who depend on his salary, what had happened.
The Fake Business Meeting
Another Oracle employee shared a different but equally shocking experience. He joined what he thought was a normal business update meeting. Instead, it turned into his termination call.
“The HR person also explained the severance package. It felt very cold and mechanical,” he said.
No doubt the approach has left many workers feeling tricked and betrayed.
Which Department Got Hit?
The job cuts focused mainly on Oracle’s cloud business. The affected areas include the following:
- Engineering Team
- Data Center Operations
- Tech Support Staff
Both Indian and American offices saw major cuts in these departments.
The Numbers Game
Oracle has not published its official figures, but according to reports, the picture is clear:
- In India, Oracle could have laid off almost 10 percent of its employees.
- In the US, over 300 individuals were sacked in California and Washington alone.
- These figures demonstrate the extent of Oracle’s cost reduction.
The Perplexing Business Strategy
That is what is strange about this situation. As Oracle is laying off employees in its cloud and technology departments, the enterprise is also building new technology alliances.
Recently, Oracle signed a large contract with OpenAI to construct new data centers in the US. Therefore, they are reducing the number of employees and increasing operations simultaneously.
India’s Broken Promises
This is particularly bitter for the older workers. Bengaluru already had big investments announced by Oracle. The company also initiated student training programs.
Today, some of the same employees who felt like Oracle cared about them and was committed to India are now being fired with hardly any warning.
No Time To Say Goodbye
Employees are shocked by the pace of these firings. As one employee stated, in the best way, “You do not even have time to digest it. One minute you work, the next minute you are out.”
It was reported by the majority that their access to computers was disconnected immediately after the call. This meant they couldn’t:
- Save their personal files
- Say farewell to their teammates
- Complete their ongoing projects
- See their benefits details
The Bigger Picture
These Oracle layoffs reflect the changes in tech companies. Quite a number of companies are reducing expenditure as they seek to make investments in emerging fields such as artificial intelligence.
However, how Oracle managed these dismissals, by means of unexpected Zoom calls, leads one to wonder how businesses ought to treat their employees during difficult circumstances.
We see the difference here, where Oracle discusses innovation and growth, yet it treats its people like figures on a spreadsheet when it cuts.
Current Employee Feedback
The present employees of the company report a tense environment in the offices. People are nervous about routine emails and meetings. No one is sure whether the next Zoom call will be work or a layoff.
Such fear is influencing the way people are working and their attitude towards their jobs. The confidence between Oracle and its workforce has suffered a great blow.
How the company handled these layoffs will probably be long remembered by the present workers and former workers.
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