Ex-Spotify employee reveals getting layoff mail at 7 am, says this was his dream company since he was 16

Spotify announced laying off 1,500 people recently. A former Spotify employee shared his experience and revealed that he got the layoff mail at 7 in the morning.

In Short

• An ex-Spotify employee revealed he got layoff mail at 7 am.
• Spotify announced a new round of layoffs recently.
• 1,500 people lost their jobs.

When Twitter (now called X) laid off thousands of employees last year, people all across the globe were shocked. Then, a number of tech companies started announcing large-scale layoffs and just when we thought the layoff wave was over, Spotify announced laying off 17 per cent of its workforce earlier this week.

Former Spotify employees have been sharing their experiences on LinkedIn. While some are looking for other opportunities, others are simply expressing their feelings. One such employee took to LinkedIn and wrote that Spotify had been his dream company since he was 16. However, he lost his job in the recent round of lay-offs and received the dreadful mail at 7 in the morning.

Spotify employee shares layoff story

Taking to LinkedIn, the ex-Spotify employee wrote that he experienced an "unexpected turn of events" that he never thought "would happen so soon".

"Yesterday, I woke up at 7 am, as usual, to do my CrossFit workout before work. When I checked my phone, a colleague and friend had sent me a text wishing me the best for the day. Confused, I checked my email and realized I was among over 1500 colleagues affected by the mass Spotify lay-offs," he wrote.

He then revealed that being part of Spotify was a dream come true for him as he had been a fan of the platform since he was 16, when he discovered it while playing in a punk-rock band.

He then thanked people who reached out to him and said that he will now take this time to "process what happened, regroup, and look forward to figuring out the next chapter of his life."

About Spotify layoffs

Spotify CEO Daniel Ek announced the layoffs in a blog post. He mentioned how, despite Spotify's overall success, there is a challenging economic climate globally. He then talked about the rising costs associated with growing the business. In response, he said that the company is re-evaluating its spending and workforce size.

"To align Spotify with our future goals and ensure we are right-sized for the challenges ahead, I have made the difficult decision to reduce our total headcount by approximately 17 percent across the company. I recognize this will impact a number of individuals who have made valuable contributions. To be blunt, many smart, talented, and hard-working people will be departing us," Ek said in the post.

He then said that Spotify is committed to supporting those affected by the layoffs and will be providing financial assistance based on their tenure. He added that the company will be compensating the laid-off employees for unused holidays and will be offering continued healthcare coverage, assisting with immigration issues related to employment, and providing access to job placement services.

Meanwhile, in June this year, Spotify had laid off 200 employees from its podcast unit, constituting about 2 percent of its workforce. This move was aimed at streamlining operations, focusing on the core music streaming business, and reallocating resources to explore new opportunities in the podcasting space.

Published By:
Divyanshi Sharma
Published On:
Dec 6, 2023