
Today, a technology company CEO publicly apologized for his “tone deaf” response to a round of layoffs last week. The apology came after a statement from the CEO sparked a social media backlash from former and current employees, regarding a lack of recognition for their work.
The company, which is not being named, previously had announced layoffs as part of cost-cutting measures. Its CEO, however, had added an accolade for employees affected by the cuts: “Cannot thank you enough for your hard work and the value you have added to the journey.”
The comment was seen as hypocritical by those affected by the layoffs, as well as by other current and former employees. The statement was widely spread through social media, many criticizing CEO’s lack of empathy.
In a public statement on Tuesday, the CEO apologized for his remarks, saying, “I understand how this can be interpreted differently than intended and I accept the reality that my comments were tone deaf and insensitive.”
He added, “I apologize for any further distress caused to those affected by the layoffs and for any of my comments that caused additional pain during this difficult time.”
The incident is the latest example of a tech executive attempting to address employee concerns during a difficult period. Recently, several other tech companies have been criticized for their response to layoffs and other difficult situations.
It remains to be seen whether this CEO’s apology will be accepted by those affected by the recent layoffs, but it does signal an attempt to move away from the silence of the past. With employees already facing uncertain times, this move could provide a starting point for making the company’s culture less exclusive and more open to criticism.
The CEO of PagerDuty, Jennifer Tejada, apologized this previous 7 days immediately after coming below fireplace about a layoff email she despatched out to staff members past Thursday. The letter contained information that the digital functions management firm would be allowing go 7% of its workforce.
Previously distressed by the layoffs, some recipients of the letter were being outraged by a Martin Luther King Jr. quotation Tejada used to conclude the e mail.
“I am reminded in times like this of some thing Martin Luther King stated, that ‘the ultimate measure of a (leader) is not where (they) stand in the times of comfort and advantage, but wherever (they) stand in instances of challenge and controversy,’” she wrote. “PagerDuty is a leader that stands guiding its consumers, its values, and our eyesight — for an equitable planet the place we rework significant work so all teams can delight their clients and develop believe in.”
Several considered the layoff announcement to be “tone-deaf” and “disgusting,” CBS News noted.
Commencing with “Hi Dutonions,” Tejada proceeds to go on for 370 phrases right before obtaining to the layoff announcement, and then concluded with the King estimate an additional 1,250 words later.
The next working day, Tejada apologized for the tone of the e mail. “There are a amount of matters I would do in a different way if I could,” Tejada wrote. “The estimate I provided from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was inappropriate and insensitive. I need to have been extra upfront about the layoffs in the electronic mail, more thoughtful about my tone, and far more concise. I am sorry.”
Some viewers thought the letter sounded as if an AI experienced written the email because of to the absence of sensitivity. Creator Gergerly Orosz tweeted, “The most tone-deaf layoff email I read so considerably was written yesterday, and it comes from PagerDuty CEO Jennifer Tejada. The e-mail is vey lengthy, and feels like it was composed by an AI that took all the phrases that folks commonly say, and put it just one lengthy e-mail.”
The most tone-deaf layoff email I read through so much was created yesterday, and it arrives from PagerDuty CEO Jennifer Tejada.
The email is vey prolonged, and feels like it was written by an AI that took all the phrases that men and women typically say, and put it just one extended e mail.
See for by yourself: pic.twitter.com/TX6ntwObjE
— Gergely Orosz (@GergelyOrosz) January 25, 2023
CNN reported, “The tech business has noticed a spate of layoffs in the latest weeks. Amazon introduced in early January that it would lay off extra than 18,000 personnel. And Salesforce reported it plans to lower about 10% of its workers. Microsoft, meanwhile, is laying off 10,000.”
When pressed for additional information and facts, a PagerDuty representative referred to a blog site submit with Tejada’s complete apology that is no more time obtainable online.
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