I have a friend who was part of their 1900 layoff shortly after acquiring Blizzard in 2024. Basically, brought into a meeting and then no more job.
She learned last week that every single person who remained in her former group except one had been laid off in this last round. We’re talking about people who had been with Blizzard for years and years and had been happy with their jobs and loved even playing the games that they were making. Just poof! Gone.
The layoffs have been asinine enough, but the completely tone-deaf response from one of their leaders saying “use AI to help with the trauma of job loss” has just been the icing on the cake.
one of their leaders saying “use AI to help with the trauma of job loss”
no way
The message was probably in poor taste but i fell like people though he meant use it as a therapist, but he just said use it to improve resume, or reach out to network. so basically a proofreader to reduce the amount of work you have to do.
Man… I really want to kick this guy right in the dick.
The morale there must be awful.
My current company recently had a huge round of layoffs. When I asked what leadership planned to do about the hit to morale, we were told we need to ask ourselves whether we really want to be here. I just tendered my two weeks’ notice.
I swear, such stories seem as if all these bosses really expected to become some sort of Soviet directors. There’s no way they can expect this shit to work in a market economy.
Maybe they really believe into that “replace everyone with AI” thing.
Then we’ll see evolution at work.
I don’t know why I feel that urge to compare what happens with western societies today to USSR. Probably has similarities with the moment when Soviet space dream found its’ model’s ceiling of capability.
How will you address the hit to morale?
“By making it worse!”
MSFT is about as evil and shitty as a corpo can get. Helps that their products are terrible and anti-user. Anyway I hope everyone who gets laid off repents and uses their knowledge to harm the corpo.
I don’t think it’s reasonable to work for them in day and age and claim you know nothing of their wrong-doing.
Even if you’re working a menial job you’re still turning a profit for one of the most evil corporations in the world. “Just following orders.” or “Just paying bills.” doesn’t cut it.
