This is a weekly roundup of the latest in HR News.
Another week, another round of HR news about layoffs at big companies. This time Amazon and the Gap are making headlines for letting thousands of people go. In addition, the maker of Jeep is offering buyouts to cut down its workforce. A scathing opinion on the real reasons behind the pushback on remote work, and some interesting data about how menopause impacts women at work round out the news.
Amazon Layoffs Impact HR
This week, Amazon continued its plan to lay off 9,000 people, a decision that was announced previously. The cuts underway are the largest in Amazon’s history, according to a number of reports. This time around the layoffs hit HR and cloud services, but some people in Amazon Studios, Prime Video, and MGM also lost their jobs.
Like many tech companies, Amazon profited from the pandemic and their staff ballooned. In the last year, as the world entered the post-pandemic period, Amazon faced big losses. As a result, CEO Andy Jassy aggressively made cuts that include a hiring freeze, slashing experimental and unprofitable businesses, and delayed or slower warehouse expansion, according to CNBC.
Everyone was waiting for first-quarter results to see if the cutbacks made any differences. Hours after the latest layoffs, CNN reported that Amazon exceeded analysts expectations with a profit of $3.2 billion in the first months of 2023. Last year at this time, the company reported a loss of $3.8 billion. Organizations often describe layoffs as correcting course, and it appears to be true for Amazon, at least for now.
The Gap Announces Layoffs
Gap, Inc., which, in addition to the namesake brand, is the parent company of Old Navy, Banana Republic, and Athletica, announced that it is laying off 1,800 people. Employees in the corporate headquarters and “upper field” positions will be impacted, according to CNBC.
The move is meant to gather $300 million in annualized savings, according to The Hill. All the layoffs should be completed by July. The cuts gave Gap a shot in the arm because shares rose by about half a percentage point on Thursday. CNBC added that Gap’s stock has fallen about 16% this year.
Does Pushing RTO Policies Have Sinister Motives?
An interesting article from Insider alleges that return to office (RTO) policies and op-ed pieces panning work from home are sexist because they keep women siloed and incapable of earning promotions and raises. It includes the points of view of some thought leaders from academia, the history of women at work, and an explanation of how forcing people into the office derails diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts for all underrepresented groups.
“I mean, they might as well just say it: They think working from home is for sissies. Even after their employees proved they could work just fine away from the office, the country’s old, white, male CEOs want to go back to the way things were. And the old way was clear: The office is for work, and the home is for — well, for whatever unpaid stuff it is that women do while their men are at work,” writes Aki Ito, Senior Correspondent at Insider. “In the minds of many bosses, work from home is an oxymoron.”
The scathing piece responded to articles written by the likes of Steve Rattner and others. It shows the RTO vs. WFH battle rages on. Who will win?
Talk of Menopause at Work
There may be some setbacks for women as evidenced by the previous news item. But women are making progress when it comes to being more open about their needs in the workplace. The subject of menopause and how it impacts women at work was highlighted on NBC News earlier in the week.
The broadcast cited data from the Mayo Clinic Proceedings, Impact of Menopause Symptoms on Women in the Workplace:
- $1.8 billion in lost work every year as a result of women with menopause symptoms
- $26 billion when you add in medical expenses
- 13.4% of women reported an adverse work outcome because of menopause
- 10.9% missed at least one day of work
- The average woman missed three days of work
This news feed addressed a topic that was once taboo. It comes on the heels of an HR Exchange Network event session on this very topic. Watch the Future of Work session to learn more about how employers are addressing the needs of workers experiencing menopause.
Photo by Karolina Grabowska for Pexels
