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💔 Are virtual layoffs ethical? | Ep38 OoO

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Out of Office

💔 Are virtual layoffs ethical? | Ep38 OoO

Andrew Allen by Andrew Allen
  VP of Content Marketing
💔 Are virtual layoffs ethical? | Ep38 OoO
Contents
  • Hey, Welcome Back!
  • Comment of the Week
  • Star in an Episode of Out of Office

Because ugly crying into your keyboard at home is a bit less awkward than doing it in front of your colleagues.

Hey, Welcome Back!

How would you like to be fired today?

🤖 It’s 2040, and AI is giving you the chance to choose.

And while you may long for a future where choosing the lesser evil is possible, one thing will never change: layoffs suck.

So, it comes as no surprise that the latest rash of layoffs has left people itchy and irritated. As someone who was virtually laid off during the pandemic, the wound was fresh enough to get me thinking.

🤔 Is there a ‘right way’ to fire hybrid employees?

Companies are really struggling to figure this one out.

During this time of mass layoffs we’re seeing everything from being fired publicly, to being let go in a Zoom call. Some of us are even experiencing the mean-girl styled passive aggressive layoff that starts with a cleared calendar and ends in a single scheduled meeting.

It’s episode 38 and this week I’m sharing my thoughts on the ethics of remote layoffs.

🤷🏼‍♂️ Hey, it’s a tricky subject.

Companies seem to be applying breakup rules to something that isn’t the same. But is being fired at home a bad thing? It’s happened to me, and I know which one I’d choose. Any day!

This episode explores virtual layoffs and how tech companies are doing them.

📽️ This Week on Episode 38:

🥺 The walk of shame or crying at home, which is better?

📦 Look at high-profile layoffs happening at Meta, Amazon and Shopify

🙈 Consider Meta’s  transparent approach and Amazon’s mean girl method

💔 Decide if McDonalds did the right thing or bungled their own layoffs

📜 Get the three golden rules of virtual firing

With real-world examples coming from the tech industry, we can all feel happy that at the very least – it’s not ChatGPT firing anyone yet.

Of course, that’s not stopping the average tech hybrid worker from breaking out in stress hives. 🥵

So yes, layoffs suck.

And they can feel deeply personal. But if we can agree that there’s no good way to be retrenched, then maybe the process will be a little less painful.

My layoff was a fork in the road that led me here. And I can look back now and feel grateful that I got through that time and found my way to a job I love.

What about you? If you’ve been laid off recently, how did your company do it?

Enjoy the episode!

🥛 Remember to hydrate -

Andrew

Comment of the Week

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We loved this one, thank you Sam! This is the future we’re working towards.

🌟 Incase you missed it, we launched Crossover’s LinkedIn newsletter last week, and already have over 700,000 subscribers! 🌟

Sam joined the rebellion and commented in our first edition.

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👉 Check out Radically Remote here. 👈

Star in an Episode of Out of Office

I’m searching for my next crop of remote heroes to interview for our travel episodes. If you have an amazing remote story to tell, apply to be my guest!

🛫 I’ll fly out to your country and take you on a unique experience. Snap the code below and complete the Google form to stand a chance to be chosen.

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Andrew Allen
ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Andrew Allen

  VP of Content Marketing

Andrew lives in Auckland, New Zealand and has worked full-time remotely for Crossover since early 2021. His superpower is using storytelling and humor to make interesting and memorable insights on complex topics. He's known for hosting the world's most-viewed remote work vlog (Out of Office), co-creating one of the most-subscribed newsletters on LinkedIn (Radically Remote), and contributing to Forbes. Beyond work, Andrew has visited over 100 countries, seen all seven wonders, and starred in a few high profile TV shows and musicals in New Zealand. You can hear a bit more of his backstory (and meet his dogs) here.

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