The next time you get laid off, it could be via text or email

Employers have gotten plenty of bad press for botching layoffs. But some companies may be doubling down on a more impersonal approach to job cuts.

Since the pandemic normalized hybrid work and virtual communication, a number of companies have been emboldened to take a more impersonal approach to conducting layoffs. When Intuit cut 10% of its workforce last summer—framed as performance-related layoffs—employees were instructed to look out for a calendar invite that would indicate whether they were impacted. In April, Tesla informed its employees about layoffs through an email; some employees reportedly only learned they had been let go when they showed up to the office and found their badges no longer worked.