(JustPatriots.com)- Last week, Twilio CEO Jeff Lawson informed staff members that 11% of the company’s personnel would be laid off. According to Lawson, choices on layoffs were made with “anti-racist” and “anti-oppression” principles in mind, which caused white employees to be let go before their non-white counterparts. In a statement announcing the cutbacks, Lawson said: “marginalized populations” are particularly hard hit by losing their jobs.
In a note to staff, the CEO of the corporate communications firm based in San Francisco stated that the layoffs are “smart and necessary.”
Lawson told the staff that he wouldn’t try to sugarcoat anything. The last thing they want to do is lay people off, but he thinks it is wise and necessary.
In the last several years, Twilio has expanded at an astounding rate. It moved too quickly and didn’t pay enough attention to our top business concerns. I accept responsibility for those choices and the difficult one of making this layoff.
According to Lawson, executives first considered which positions were most crucial to achieving the company’s chief aims when deciding which employees would be let go. However, the CEO of the technology company assured staff that the dismissals were handled in an “anti-racist” manner.
Lawson stated that they are dedicated to becoming an anti-racist/anti-oppression company, as everyone knows.
As a result, “we were particularly focused on ensuring our layoffs – albeit a business necessity today – were carried out through an Anti-Racist/Anti-Oppression lens” because they can have a more noticeable impact on vulnerable populations.
He said laid-off employees would receive “at least” 12 weeks of salary in addition to one additional week for each year of service. Additionally, they will get the total value of Twilio’s upcoming stock vest.
He said that everyone who contributed to the business’s growth had been their friends, partner, and teammates.
“I appreciate all that you do for our clients and our company. And we owe you our best efforts to assist,” Lawson said in his message.
According to Lawson, Twilio wants to be a profitable, growing company, so the layoffs were inevitable. According to the company’s December annual report, there were 7,867 employees as of December 31, 2021.
According to Fox Business, the value of Twilio shares has decreased by more than 78% over the past year.